Squad 1.0 release brings 50v50 battles to the tactical FPS

After five long years in early access, the tactical first person shooter Squad has reached a 1.0 release today, bringing with it an expanded 50v50 game mode.

The game was built as a spiritual successor to the Project Reality mod for the classic PC shooter Battlefield 2, but expanding the experience to encompass teams of 50 players apiece. As in the mod, communication and teamwork is pushed to the fore, with each player choosing particular roles.

The large battle maps are based around locations in Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe, which is pretty de rigeur for the modern day shooter, and within that teams will have to build and fortify bases, set up and protect supplies while battling the enemy. You also have access to armored cars, tanks, personnel carriers, and helicopters.

Squad 1.0 features a new map set in the city of Fallujah and a new Middle-Eastern Alliance faction. There's also the expanded 50v50 mode, which has been in testing over the last few months. A step up over the 40v40 servers, there will now be 50v50 servers to play from.

Oh, and the game also now has mod support, so if people want to take Squad and turn it back into a more arcade experience like Battlefield, they can!

Source: press release

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

Baldur's Gate 3 has been delayed once again, but not by much. The new release date for the game's early access is 6th October, just a week after the previously announced date. The early access release will be available for Windows PC and Google Stadia.

To help soothe fans through the trying times, the latest community update video has shifted to give players a glimpse of what they can expect from the game's romance and companionship features. In other words, Larian have finally talking about sexy times with elves and stuff.

More seriously, they talk about party dynamics and how they react to your choices. The game hopes to capture the breadth of D&D by adapting to the dialogue options you pick, how you engage in combat, and just how you explore the world. For your party, your united by having an Illithid tadpole in your noggin, but you'll have to overcome your differences in order to survive.

There are hundreds of permutations that determine how your relationships grow, with Larian aiming to create something intimate, authentic and reactive. Much of that will come at the end of a day of adventuring when you set up camp. Here, the party puts down its weapons and talks in cinematic dialogue.

Lead writer Sarah Baylus said, "We are trying to make these relationships feel real and feel like the relationships you have in the real world. You will meet some people who you have nothing in common with, some will be useful to work together but that is going to be the extent of it. But there could be situations where you get on really well, you share similar goals and you love travelling together."

"We want these relationships to feel like they would in the real world, like you are falling in love with someone or you are falling in like with someone, or you just feel attracted to someone. That should all feel real and authentic."

Sounds fascinating, and we can't wait… OK, we can wait to see how it comes together.

Source: press release

The new Xbox phone app lets you install any game, even if you don't own it

There's a new Xbox app available for Android devices, and currently going through certification on iOS, that adds a really interesting new feature for ardent gamers: the ability to remotely install games. Any games. Even ones you don't own.

The feature is quite a minor tweak in the grand scheme of things, but it's a useful new tool for gamers when games can take a mind-numbingly long time to download or install from disc. Now, you're probably not going to just randomly download games that you have no intention of playing, but it's a great tweak for gamers who still want to buy their games on disc. You can pre-order the game from your chosen retailer, download from Microsoft, get the day one updates as soon as they're available and then simply pop the disc in when it arrives and start playing.

You can download the new Xbox app (which is currently in beta) from the Google Play Store.

The feature was confirmed by users on Resetera earlier this week, and has also been demonstrated for future games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, downloading a 100MB placeholder file until such a time as the Xbox can download the rest of the game date once it's gone gold.

Essentially, it's formalising the role that discs have had for much of the current generation. Yes, they come stuffed with 50GB of data (or more on next-gen), but you have to install games to the console hard drive and games often transform and expand dramatically through patches. That day one Destiny 2 disc? Well, it's literally just an unlock key. Always has been, really.

 

This is all part of Microsoft's revamped Xbox app for mobile. Currently in a beta release, it will adopt the new UI design that is coming to all current Xbox consoles alongside the launch of the Xbox Series X | S, and is intended to have deeper connections to the consoles. You'll be able to set up a new console using the smartphone app, for example, any time you hit the Share button, you'll be able to then watch it and decide how you want to share it from the app, and there's all the messaging, achievement and other features you'd expect.

The app will also build in Remote Play streaming from Xbox consoles, finally enabling a long-promised feature. This isn't the same as the Cloud Streaming from Xbox Game Pass – a separate but connected app – but streaming from the console you own. Because of this particular distinction, the Xbox app should be able to pass through Apple's iOS certification and rules, unlike the ill-fated Game Pass streaming.

Source: Twitter, Resetera

Maneater swims to PS5 & Xbox Series X with ray-tracing support, 4K60 and free next-gen upgrades

Tripwire Interactive's "shARkPG" Maneater is making the leap onto PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X for their respective launches, with the free next-gen upgrade bringing a major bump up to 4K60 and throwing in some ray-traced lighting for good measure.

The lower-powered Xbox Series S will also benefit from increased fidelity and frame rate, though will likely have more modest targets. Meanwhile, PC gamers will not be left out, but will have to wait until early 2021 to get their own updates and enhancements.

The announcement comes as Tripwire celebrate the game passing the 1 million copies sold milestone. John Gibson, CEO of Tripwire Interactive said, "The Tripwire team has been overwhelmed by the great reception Maneater received since it launched earlier this year, and we can't wait for players to experience the thrill of playing as a deadly shark in all of her powerful glory on next-gen consoles. With next-gen Maneater has never looked better with amazing ray traced water and smooth 4k 60FPS gameplay, but the adventures won't stop there, as fans can expect even more exciting news about the future of Maneater soon."

It's a pretty unique game, all told, with players taking on the role of an orphaned shark pup who sets out for revenge. Along the way, it will evolve, gaining new abilities and growing in size until it's the one and only apex predator around.

We gave it a decent review earlier this year, finding it a decent concept, but lacking in variety. Jim wrote in our Maneater review:

"Maneater is a crazy concept come to life, Tripwire somehow managing to cobble together a silly ShaRkPG that is more than just a ten-minute novelty. There's no denying it's an exotic catch, but when it comes to quality open world action games, there's plenty more fish in the sea."

Source: press release

No Man's Sky Origins update is out now – massive 3.0 patch marks start of a new era for the game

Hello Games have launched the latest major update for No Man's Sky, but this one is bigger than most. No Man's Sky Origins is also known as update 3.0, and brings sweeping changes and new features to the game, going so far as to add more planets to the vast procedurally generated galaxy that players can already explore.

Last week, Hello described this as "the beginning of something new, as No Man's Sky continues to grow and evolve."

Those aforementioned new planets are in addition to all the existing planets in the game, and they can be formed in both existing systems and new solar systems that feature binary stars. The worlds can now feature volcanoes, multi kilometre mountains, and huge new buildings, and they can be wracked with new weather effects, such as firestorms, lightning, and tornadoes. Existing planets will retain their existing formations, so player bases will remain untouched, but there's plenty that's new to explore.

There's also new NPCs to meet on planets, as well as new fauna, and (in a move that will please many a Dune fan) sandworms.

There's a lot, so the patch notes can be found below.

No Man's Sky is out for PlayStation 4 with PSVR support, Xbox One, and PC with VR support. Might this platform list expand as games consoles soon embark on their own new era? Hmmm?

No Man's Sky: Origins – Update 3.0

PLANETARY GENERATION

  • New planets have been created in most star systems.
  • Planets can now generate much more varied terrain, including mountains four times larger than anything previously possible.
  • Terrain generation for existing planets has not been affected, and player bases have not been reset.

PLANETARY VISUALS

  • Planetary terrain rendering has been significantly improved.
  • Planetary colour diversity has been significantly increased.
  • Planetary lighting diversity has been significantly increased.
  • Large numbers of new plants, rocks and other objects have been added to each planet type, over doubling the available diversity.
  • In addition, scorched planets have a chance of becoming volcanically active.
  • Lush planets also have a chance of becoming marshlands or swamps.
  • Every planet has a small chance of becoming infested with bizarre alien growths.
  • This generation change has been done in such a way that no existing planet will have its fundamental type or hazard changed.
  • PC players with planetary visual quality set to 'Ultra' will see grass and other decorative props rendered out to larger distances.
  • A number of issues have been fixed that could cause patches of grass and other objects to pop out of existence when close to the player.

ATMOSPHERIC VISUALS

  • The visual quality of cloud rendering has been significantly improved.
  • The pattern of clouds seen on a planet from space now matches the environmental conditions on the planet.
  • During storms, cloud coverage now increases and darkens.
  • Cloud coverage levels are now procedurally generated and vary from planet to planet.
  • Cloud coverage levels now vary over time.

STAR SYSTEM VISUALS

  • Additional stars have been added to the universe.
  • Some systems now have binary stars.
  • There is a rare chance for a system to have ternary stars.

PLANETARY FAUNA

  • A large number of new, highly exotic creatures have been added to the universe.
  • Some uncharted systems may contain planets that are populated by rare cybernetic lifeforms.
  • The diversity of insect and flying life has been increased.
  • The behaviour and animations for flying creatures has been significantly improved.
  • Flying and swimming creatures can now flock together.
  • Creature generation has been reset. However, previous creature discoveries are now noted in the 'Extinct' section of the Discoveries page.
  • New cooking products have been added, reflecting the range of novel meats and other sustainably harvested ingredients made possible by the new creature types.

PLANETARY WEATHER

  • New weather and other atmospheric events have been added.
  • Planets may experience shooting stars and meteor showers. Distant meteor showers are beautiful, but it is advised to avoid standing at the impact site.
  • Lightning may now strike during storms.
  • There is now a rare chance that tornadoes can form during a storm.
  • Some extreme temperature worlds may experience firestorms, where the very surface of the planet may erupt into flame.
  • Anomalous planets may now experience strange gravitational events.
  • During storms, the Exosuit can now take advantage of the extreme conditions: superheated temperatures can be processed into improved jetpack efficiency; freezing temperatures prevent Mining Beam overheating; high radioactivity increases mining yield; dense toxic gases can be recirculated for additional stamina.

PLANETARY BUILDINGS

  • Previously empty planets now have a range of abandoned and/or ancient buildings.
  • New colossal planetary archives have been added to the building generation.
  • The archives contain the historical and literary records of the Gek, Korvax and Vy'keen.
  • The archives are also home to a large number of NPCs and shops.
  • The archives contain mapping stations that reveal the presence of nearby ancient ruins.
  • Valuable ancient artifacts may be exchanged at the archive. The presented artifact will be swapped for a different item, and this cultural exchange will be rewarded with standing.

SANDWORMS

  • Some planets are now home to colossal worms. Watch your step.

TRADERS

  • Trader ships now occasionally land on the planet's surface.
  • These traders sell a range of exotic goods, including black-market upgrade modules.
  • The scrap dealer found about space stations will now exchange pugneum for rare or exotic contraband items.

USER INTERFACE

  • The game's interface has had a total visual overhaul, including the boot flow, all in-game menus and screens, and the Analysis Visor.
  • The space station and planetary base teleporter UI now match the interface used on the Space Anomaly.
  • The teleporter interface now more consistently shows screenshots of the target base.
  • The teleporter interface now displays information about the system or planet being warped to, such as weather or system economy.
  • The Discoveries page now displays more information about where to find creatures. For example, locational information and active times of day are now listed.
  • The Discoveries page now allows filtering of star systems based on inhabitants or solar class.
  • Systems may now be hidden from the list of discovered systems.
  • The Discoveries page system / planet view now displays more accurate information about player bases.
  • A local information guide has been added to the mission log. This guide displays detailed information about your current planet or star system, as well as tracking the progress of your discoveries.
  • Planetary base markers now display the name of the base.
  • Deleting a base from the base computer now has a warning element to help prevent accidental deletion.
  • A number of places in which the UI did not respect disabling press & hold have been fixed.
  • Fixed a number of visual issues with the display of information on the Galaxy Map.
  • The number of items in an inventory stack is now displayed in the popup header.
  • A depth readout has been added to the player HUD when underwater.

PHOTO MODE

  • New photo mode filters have been added.
  • Photo mode controls over fog and cloud density have been fixed and improved.
  • Photo mode controls over vignettes have been fixed.
  • Photo mode control over FOV has been fixed and improved.
  • Photo mode control of depth of field has been improved, with separate controls for focal depth and distance.
  • Photo mode now captures stormy conditions accurately.
  • Photo missions from the mission board now offer more assistance in locating an appropriate planet to take a photo.

CRAFTING AND ITEMS

  • A number of lesser-used crafting products have been removed from the game.
  • A smaller number of new crafting products have been added to replace them.
  • The number of specialist survival products have been reduced. The stack size for the remaining survival products has been increased.
  • The stack size for Glass has been increased.
  • A range of new buried items have been added to planets. These can be found and processed to reveal a range of exotic and interesting new items.
  • Fixed a number of issues with items being in the wrong place in the Catalogue.

MULTI-TOOL UPGRADES

  • Multi-Tools can now be upgraded at the Multi-Tool technology merchant aboard most Space Stations.
  • New inventory slots can be added, up to a maximum size for the current class. These slots cost a large number of units.
  • Multi-Tool class can also be upgraded for a significant amount of nanites.
  • Multi-Tool Expansion Slots allow the addition of an inventory slot for free. Find these upgrade circuits while exploring planets.

PORTAL INTERFERENCE

  • Portal interference for conventional portals has been removed. Players may explore freely.
  • After going through a portal, the return portal will remain active until you leave the planet. Your previous system is added to the list of available destinations at the space station teleporter.

OTHER FIXES

  • Improved the handling of the third person camera when on slopes, to avoid the camera becoming stuck in grass.
  • Reduced player and camera jitter in third person.
  • Improved the performance of the third person auto-follow camera when going up and down steep slopes, so that the camera attempts to adjust for the angle of the slope.
  • Reduced the auto-centre strength on the falling camera.
  • Trade economies have been rebalanced, so that the economy will be less affected by the mass selling of non-specialist items.
  • Player freighters now supply power automatically to all base parts placed aboard them.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Mining Speed bonus to not actually increase the speed of the mining laser.
  • Fixed an issue on the Nexus participants screen that caused the player name to be blank if they are not aboard the Space Anomaly.
  • Added diminishing returns to resource extractors, so that after building a large number of extractors in one place, the amount extracted by each new extractor is slightly less.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the mode select screen to be invisible in ultra wide resolutions
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Eye of the Korvax helmet to be black.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented markers placed on crashed freighters from clearing.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the lighting on the children of helios to be overblown.
  • Fixed an issue that allowed players to delete a freighter storage room while standing inside it.
  • Fixed a number of issues with base building parts looking incorrect when seen at a distance.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the lighting inside large cylinder rooms to be overly bright.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the text "%EXOTIC%" to appear in some Nexus mission descriptions.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented some abandoned starships from being claimed, even though there was no NPC with them.
  • Fixed an issue that caused dead creatures to become embedded in the terrain.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the lightning to be overblown on some rare props.
  • Fixed an issue that caused underwater props to appear overly bright.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the mining laser impact effect to stay active forever.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented some time-based missions from starting correctly.
  • Fixed an issue that caused some mission UI elements to appear during warp.
  • Fixed a mission blocker that could occur when being awarded a product and technology recipe at the same time.
  • Fixed a number of interface errors that could occur during the process to upgrade an inventory.
  • Fixed an issue that caused an inventory transfer warning to pop up at inappropriate times.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the portable refiner to be missing its audio.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause mission markers to fail to place correctly when the player was in an abandoned system.
  • Fixed a number of issues that could cause Nexus missions to mark the wrong system.
  • Fixed a number of occasions where Geks were referred to as 'it' rather than 'they'.
  • Fixed a text glitch that could occur when leaving a technology shop.
  • Fixed an issue where NPC pilots did not have their name above their speech box.
  • Fixed an issue where players were always awarded Gek standing from some interactions, even if the interaction did not involve the Gek.
  • Fixed an issue where Nexus exploration missions would send players to planets without many creatures.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the rarity description of creatures in the Discoveries menu to be incorrect.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the flora and fauna description of a planet to be incorrect, eg saying there were abundant fauna when there were not.
  • Planets will no longer be labelled as 'paradise' if they have any hostile environmental conditions.
  • Fixed an issue that caused starship trail customisations to appear on other players' ships.
  • Fixed a mission blocker that could occur when mining cadmium for the Soul Engine.
  • Fixed a number of issues with using the Steam Overlay in VR.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented the Terrain Manipulator's flatten mode from syncing in multiplayer.
  • Fixed an issue that caused exploration frigates to display incorrect information when viewed through the Analysis Visor.

Source: Hello Games

Will Hades come to PS4 and Xbox One?

Last week, we saw rogue-like dungeon crawler Hades triumphantly stride out of early access and into version 1.0 with its launch on PC as well as the Nintendo Switch.

However, since its recent release and the subsequent praise from critics (see Jason's Hades review) PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners have been asking whether Hades will launch on other platforms.

At present, the only way to get your hands on this GOTY 2020 contender is to either buy it for PC via Steam or the Epic Game Store, or grab the handheld version through the Nintendo Switch eShop.

It's worth noting that developer Supergiant Games have a track record for releasing their titles on multiple platforms with the sublime Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre all being available on Sony and Microsoft consoles.

With the launch of Hades 1.0 after being in early access since 2018, Supergiant Games were asked whether a PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5 version of the title was in the pipeline to which they replied:

"Hey, we've launched v1.0 of Hades only on Nintendo Switch, and PC and Mac via Steam and the Epic Games Store. We'll be considering opportunities to bring the game to additional platforms down the line. Thank you for your interest."

A PlayStation and Xbox release of Hades seems pretty likely then, but when can we expect it (if at all). There's a good chance the developer wanted to test the water with launching it on Switch first but we should also take the upcoming launch of next-gen hardware into account. Maybe Supergiant are simply waiting to drop cross-gen versions for both the PS4 and PS5, as well as the Xbox Series X|S. That would be our guess, at least.

In our review, we scored Hades an untouchable 10/10 – here's an excerpt:

Hades is one of the best roguelites of all-time. It's a phenomenal achievement in story telling, gameplay, and an absolute treat for both your eyes and ears. It's astounding, and it's always been fairly astounding through Early Access, but this final release cements it as one of the greats. If you like roguelites, and even if you don't, you should probably get in on this as soon as you can.

Hopefully an announcement on the game's multiplatform release isn't too far away.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Switch Review

As the music swells at the opening of Ori and the Will of the Wisps, a lump forms in my throat. This isn't because I've longed for Microsoft games to make the jump to Nintendo consoles – admittedly a portable Gears of War would be pretty great – it's because Ori and the Will of the Wisps is one of the most emotionally affecting games of the year. Now, a mere six months after its initial release, it's made its way to the Nintendo Switch so you can experience it pretty much anywhere you go.

It's hard to put into words how completely this game has melted into my heart – I've already tried once for our original review. It is beautiful, within and without, with the visuals evoking timeless paintings of long-forgotten landscapes while the music reaches down into your soul and dredges up your pain, your wonder and your joy. Will of the Wisps storytelling is touching and emotionally mature, and in the same vein as the opening to Pixar's Up will have you reaching for the hankies without a word having ever been spoken.

For the uninitiated, Ori is a spirit creature, and Will of the Wisps continues her story in the wake of the events of The Blind Forest. Niwen is a world of magic and majesty, taking in leafy, verdant forests, dank underground kingdoms and the frozen climes of the mountainous regions to the east. Wrestling this artfulness into a compelling game saw Moon Studio turn to the classic Metroidvania formula, and Ori's ever-expanding range of platforming abilities steadily unlocks more of this incredible world as you progress.

The move to Switch has precipitated a few necessary changes to the game's graphical output, and chief among them is the move to 1080p when docked, and 720p when undocked. Losing the crystal-clear 4K image from Xbox One X (or a gaming PC) may hurt some of the most ardent resolution-o-philes, but Will of the Wisps' art style is so strong that it makes next to no difference in action.

The game's visual language is still perfectly clear enough to tell you where you need to go, and how you can get there – or more likely that you can't get there until you've unlocked some new ability. There is similarly a reduction in anti-aliasing, resulting in some rougher edges, mainly where a character might move against a static background, but once you're in Ori's flow you won't have time to notice, and nor will you care.

This is a game that relies on drawing you into its reality, where your fingers and thumbs become a crucial component in Ori's quest to save their adoptive brother Ku. It loses none of the impact and weight that it carried on Xbox One, and playing on handheld is a wonderful way to feel even closer to the game's events. Pop a pair of headphones on and you can treat Will of the Wisps like a good book, curling up with it as you sink into a sumptuous audio-visual eiderdown.

That implies that it's comfortable, perhaps even, that it's a walkover. While there is an Easy mode that's going to let you experience the story without too much friction, the Normal mode is a resolute challenge that relies on careful timing, exceptional reactions, and a clear understanding of routes and pathways through the labyrinthine world. There are times where you might become frustrated, particularly against the spectacular boss creatures, but you have to believe me; this is a game you must see through to the end.

Rocket League update 1.82 live, Fortnite event times confirmed

Here's a double dose of Rocket League news to brighten your day. Alongside their newest update for the hugely popular online game, developer Psyonix have also introduced their Fortnite "Llama-Rama" crossover event.

Rocket League update 1.82 is now live on all available platforms including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC. You'll need to download and install this newest version before you can hop online and start playing again. For the full 1.82 patch notes read further down.

It's a huge week for the SARPBC sequel for a number of reasons. Having just gone free-to-play, Rocket League has also kicked off its first live season which includes a Rocket Pass loaded with more than 70 tiers of unlockable rewards. This new feature layers on some extra replayability via challenges and a stream of bonuses with more available to those fans who cough up for Rocket Pass Premium.

Hang on, there's even more news. Rocket League has scored its own Fortnite crossover event with a series of Event Challenges being added to the game this Saturday, September 26 at 11PM BST UK time, through until October 12. Each challenge comes tagged with its own Fortnite themed reward – completing them all will award you with the Battle Bus.

Rocket League Update 1.82 Patch Notes

CHANGES AND UPDATES

User Interface

  • The Play Menu will now correctly remember the last chosen Competitive or Extra Modes Playlist between sessions
    • Casual playlists will also be saved and highlighted starting in our next update

BUG FIXES

General

  • The Play Menu will now correctly remember the last chosen Playlist between sessions

  • Fixed a bug causing team color adjustments to change which preset is being customized

  • [Steam] Fixed Steam input support for controllers including Sony DualShock 4, Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

  • Glowing wall cage effect fixed in Mannfield, Farmstead

  • Fixed a bug preventing successful friend invites to Nintendo Switch accounts on the 'Recent Players' list

  • NBA flags now appear correctly when customizing a car

For more on Rocket League, you can beam yourself back to 2015 to read our original review of the game at launch.

Source: Rocket League

Modern Warfare Season 6 release date announced with new Warzone content

Activision have officially announced Modern Warfare Season 6 and with it comes a slew of new content as well as some changes to the ever-popular Call of Duty: Warzone.

Let's start with the release date. Modern Warfare Season 6 kicks off next week on September 29th, so if you have any Battle Pass tiers you still need to unlock in Season 5 then you'd better hurry.

Headlining the upcoming season are two new playable operators Modern Warfare fans should be familiar with by now – if they've played the singleplayer campaign, that is. Protagonists Farah and Nikolai will be joining the ranks as unlockable heroes tied to the Season 6 Battle Pass.

Having been rumoured for some time now, Call of Duty: Warzone is finally getting its very own underground rail network. As shown in the Modern Warfare Season 6 reveal trailer, we see Farah and Nikolai move their way through a metro subway system, weaving between passenger cars and tunnels.

Infinity Ward have confirmed that the trains will be operational in-game, allowing players to navigate the Warzone map at an accelerated speed. As with any new Warzone content, expect players to descend upon the underground station when Season 6 kicks off. There will no doubt be some cools extras and Easter eggs tucked away down there. For a better look at how the rail system will work, here's an image of its route map.

But wait, there's more. We've seen a glimpse of what Season 6 has to offer though we're still waiting on news from Activision in regards to new weapons, competitive maps, Gunfight maps, and other content. Die-hard fans will also be keeping their eye out for the full Season 6 Battle Pass.

The pass will be available on September 29th when the new season goes live on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It will be priced at 1,300 Call of Duty points with 100 tiers to unlock.

Source: Activision

Wasteland 3 update 1.1.1 targets console stability and the Antique Appraiser perk

Wasteland 3 update 1.1.1 is out today across PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, targeting some of the main issues that players have had with the game.

In particular, they've focussed on stability on consoles and fixes for co-op getting stuck at 33% loading, while the Antique Appraiser perk has been rebalanced so it's not just ridiculously powerful. This follows on from the update earlier this month that also aimed to fix co-op and stability. A few more patches, and Wasteland 3 should be as stable as PS4 and Nintendo Switch system software!

There are still some known issues that they're working on, but this should generally make the game more enjoyable.

Wasteland 3 launched last month to rave reviews, picking up a 9/10 from Thomas – here's what he had to say:

"Wasteland 3 is a delight to experience with some of the most engaging RPG mechanics in the series to date. Its dense and detailed world is only outshone by the character and its cast of vibrant and wacky characters, who are all brought to life by the introduction of voiced dialogue. If you're a fan of RPGs, isometric-adventure games or turn-based combat, Wasteland 3 is an absolute must."

You can catch the full list of Wasteland 3 changes below.

Wasteland 3 – 1.1.1 Patch Notes

Performance and Stability

  • We've made over a dozen individual changes aimed at improving performance and stability, especially on consoles. We're continuing work on additional improvements for future updates.
  • Some slight load time improvements have been made. We're finalizing some more impactful load time reductions which you'll see in a future patch.
  • Fixed an issue where if computer consoles were used during combat, game performance would decrease.
  • Performance has been improved when using Precision Strike.

Co-op

  • Load screen hangs (i.e. 33% load bug) have largely been resolved for co-op games. In a few cases the load bar may appear to be stuck at 33% but will eventually load after 5 or more minutes. We're aware and actively working to resolve these.
  • Addressed an issue with the Direct Connect option that was preventing some guests from connecting to their hosts.
  • Fixed crash that could occur in co-op while players engaged with Major Prasad.
  • Players with different build versions are now blocked from playing with each other.
  • [Xbox One] Resolved an issue where the user would not be able to join a second game if it was hosted by the same person.

Quests and Gameplay

  • The Antiques Appraiser perk no longer triggers on Scrap. This closes a loophole in which Scrap could be simply bought and sold for a profit using the Antiques Appraiser perk. We found that in some cases the perk was giving players far too much money when Scrap was included. Of note, this change will not be reflected in the text descriptions until a subsequent patch.
  • Antiques Appraiser now has a 5% chance to multiply the value of Junk by 40x, down from 50x.
  • A persistent issue with the Fishlips encounter which would result in the game locking up has been resolved.
  • Resolved an issue where the epilogue song would sometimes not play all the way through.
  • Merchants now round up item values, instead of down. Buying in bulk is always better!
  • Liberty's Warbots are now immune to hacking, which should make her appropriately more challenging.
  • Resolved an issue where the Survival Skill was granting Animal Whisperer abilities.
  • Resolved an issue where some missions related to the Gippers were unable to be completed under specific conditions.
  • Resolved an issue where players were being charged the correct amount of skill points on purchase, but the tooltip and the bar were using the wrong value to calculate/display the cost.

Source: inXile

Big In Japan sale returns to the PlayStation Store

Sony have kicked off the latest Big in Japan sale on the PlayStation Store, trotting out another of their regularly occurring promotions. In fact, they're overlapping with the Double Discount sale still going until the end of September!

Big in Japan is kicking off today and running through to 7th October. Let us know if anything catches your fancy. Maybe Resident Evil 3 for 50% off?

Head over to the PlayStation Store to browse, or scroll down for the full list via HUKD (because the official PS blog is now officially completely useless for all this).

Big in Japan Sale

PlayStation 4

  • 428: Shibuya Scramble – £8.99 (80% off)
  • A.O.T. 2 – £24.99 (50% off)
  • A.O.T. 2 Deluxe Edition – £42.49 (50% off)
  • A.O.T. 2: Final Battle – £38.49 (30% off)
  • Accel World Vs. Sword Art Online – £11.24 (75% off)
  • Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition – £20.99 (70% off)
  • Adk Damashii – £2.99 (75% off)
  • Aegis Of Earth: Protonovus Assault – £2.39 (85% off)
  • Ai: The Somnium Files – £24.99 (50% off)
  • Akiba's Beat – £3.19 (80% off)
  • Akiba's Trip: Undead And Undressed – £3.89 (87% off)
  • The Alliance Alive HD Remastered – £26.99 (40% off)
  • Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Arcade Game Series 3-In-1 Pack – £1.62 (75% off)
  • Arcade Spirits – £11.19 (30% off)
  • Art Of Fighting Anthology – £2.99 (75% off)
  • Ash Of Gods: Redemption – £8.74 (65% off)
  • Atelier Ryza: Digital Deluxe Edition – £41.99 (30% off)
  • Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness And The Secret Hideout – £34.99 (30% off)
  • Bayonetta – £13.99 (30% off)
  • Bayonetta And Vanquish 10Th Anniversary Bundle – £20.99 (40% off)
  • Black Clover: Quartet Knights – £7.67 (84% off)
  • Black Clover: Quartet Knights Deluxe Edition – £8.47 (84% off)
  • Blazblue Centralfiction – £7.19 (85% off)
  • Blazblue Chronophantasma Extend – £3.19 (80% off)
  • Blazblue Cross Tag Battle – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Blazblue Cross Tag Battle Special Edition – £13.49 (70% off)
  • The Caligula Effect: Overdose – £17.99 (60% off)
  • Castlevania Anniversary Collection – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Castlevania Requiem: Symphony Of The Night And Rondo Of Blood – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Catherine: Full Body Deluxe Edition – £25.19 (44% off)
  • Chaoschild – £4.99 (80% off)
  • Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy! – £16.49 (50% off)
  • Code Vein Deluxe Edition – £32.49 (50% off)
  • Code: Realize ~Bouquet Of Rainbows~ – £13.49 (70% off)
  • Code: Realize ~Wintertide Miracles~ – £17.99 (60% off)
  • Conception Plus: Maidens Of The Twelve Stars – £19.99 (60% off)
  • Contra Anniversary Collection – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Contra: Rogue Corps – £9.24 (75% off)
  • Crystar – £24.99 (50% off)
  • Danganronpa 1/2 Reload – £15.74 (55% off)
  • Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls – £8.24 (67% off)
  • Dark Rose Valkyrie – £8.99 (80% off)
  • Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers – £17.49 (50% off)
  • Devil May Cry HD Collection And 4Se Bundle – £19.99 (50% off)
  • Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth — Hacker's Memory – £11.24 (75% off)
  • Digimon World: Next Order – £9.99 (75% off)
  • Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories – £34.99 (30% off)
  • Disgaea 1 Complete – £17.99 (60% off)
  • Disgaea 4 Complete+ – £26.99 (40% off)
  • Disgaea 5 Complete Bundle – £17.49 (50% off)
  • Dissidia Final Fantasy NT – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Digital Deluxe Edition – £19.99 (50% off)
  • The Division 2 — Standard Edition – £4.24 (83% off)
  • The Division 2 Warlords Of New York – £11.99 (76% off)
  • Dragon Ball Fighterz — Ultimate Edition – £13.59 (84% off)
  • Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – £28.49 (43% off)
  • Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Ultimate Edition – £44.99 (40% off)
  • Dragon's Crown Pro – £9.99 (60% off)
  • Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen – £7.99 (60% off)
  • Dusk Diver – £17.99 (40% off)
  • Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires – £26.99 (40% off)
  • Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition – £11.99 (25% off)
  • Dynasty Warriors 9 Digital Deluxe Edition – £27.99 (30% off)
  • Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow Of New Despair – £3.19 (80% off)
  • Earth Defense Force 5 – £23.99 (40% off) / £19.99 Plus (50% off)
  • Earth Defense Force 5 Deluxe Edition – £37.19 (40% off) / £30.99 Plus (50% off)
  • Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain – £24.99 (50% off) / £17.49 Plus (65% off)
  • Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain Ultimate Edition – £36.99 (50% off) / £25.89 Plus (65% off)
  • Earth Defense Force4.1 Wingdiver The Shooter – £9.49 (50% off) / £6.64 Plus (65% off)
  • The Elder Scrolls Online – £5.99 (60% off)
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor – £27.49 (50% off)
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor Collector's Edition – £37.49 (50% off)
  • Exist Archive: The Other Side Of The Sky – £14.99 (70% off)
  • Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force – £4.99 (80% off)
  • Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol.2 – £4.79 (60% off)
  • Fighting Ex Layer (Standard Version) – £7.24 (75% off)
  • Final Fantasy IX Digital Edition – £8.49 (50% off)
  • Final Fantasy Type-0 HD – £7.99 (50% off)
  • Final Fantasy VII – £6.49 (50% off)
  • Final Fantasy VIII Remastered – £7.99 (50% off)
  • Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age – £19.99 (50% off)
  • Final Fantasy XV Multiplayer: Comrades – £3.99 (50% off)
  • Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition – £14.99 (50% off)
  • Fire Pro Wrestling World – £13.49 (70% off)
  • Fire Pro Wrestling World — Deluxe Edition – £22.49 (70% off)
  • Fist Of The North Star: Lost Paradise – £10.39 (35% off)
  • Fu'Un Super Combo – £2.99 (75% off)
  • Gabbuchi – £3.24 (50% off)
  • Gal*Gun 2 – £6.99 (80% off)
  • Gal*Gun 2 — Complete Edition – £29.99 (40% off)
  • Gal*Gun: Double Peace – £2.39 (85% off)
  • Gal*Gun: Double Peace — Ultimate Edition – £19.79 (40% off)
  • Garou: Mark Of The Wolves – £4.79 (60% off)
  • God Eater 3 – £16.49 (67% off)
  • God Wars Future Past – £15.74 (65% off)
  • Grand Kingdom – £13.99 (65% off)
  • Gravity Rush 2 – £12.94 (63% off)
  • Gravity Rush Remastered – £8.24 (67% off)
  • Guilty Gear – £3.99 (50% off)
  • Guilty Gear Xrd Rev.2 – £5.24 (85% off)
  • Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- – £2.39 (85% off)
  • Gundam Versus – £7.99 (50% off)
  • I Am Setsuna – £16.49 (50% off)
  • Illusion Of L'Phalcia – £7.19 (40% off) / £5.99 Plus (50% off)
  • Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes Of Heaven – £7.19 (85% off)
  • Judgment – £20.99 (58% off)
  • Jump Force — Deluxe Edition – £19.49 (75% off)
  • Katana Kami: A Way Of The Samurai Story – £14.99 (40% off)
  • Kill La Kill — If – £7.19 (55% off)
  • The King Of Fighters '97 Global Match – £4.79 (60% off)
  • The King Of Fighters 2000 – £1.99 (75% off)
  • The King Of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match – £2.99 (75% off)
  • The King Of Fighters 'Collection: The Orochi Saga – £2.99 (75% off)
  • The King Of Fighters XIV – £6.39 (60% off)
  • The King Of Fighters XIV — Special Anniversary Edition – £13.99 (60% off)
  • Kingdom Hearts All-In-One Package – £26.99 (70% off)
  • Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix – £15.99 (60% off)
  • Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue – £15.83 (67% off)
  • Kingdom Hearts III – £16.49 (70% off)
  • Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries Of Fujisawa – £1.99 (90% off)
  • Labyrinth Of Refrain: Coven Of Dusk – £22.49 (50% off)
  • La-Mulana – £7.91 (34% off)
  • La-Mulana 2 – £14.99 (25% off)
  • Langrisser I And II – £27.99 (30% off)
  • The Last Blade 2 – £4.79 (60% off)
  • Last Labyrinth – £26.99 (27% off)
  • The Last Remnant Remastered – £7.99 (50% off)
  • Left Alive Day One Edition – £12.49 (75% off)
  • The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel – £17.49 (50% off)
  • The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel II – £20.99 (40% off)
  • The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel III – £34.99 (30% off)
  • The Lost Child – £17.99 (60% off)
  • Lost Sphear – £15.99 (60% off)
  • Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite — Deluxe Edition – £14.99 (70% off)
  • Mega Man 11 – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Mega Man X Legacy Collection – £7.99 (50% off)
  • Mega Man Zero/Zx Legacy Collection – £18.74 (25% off)
  • Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 – £7.99 (50% off)
  • Megadimension Neptunia Viir – £10.49 (70% off)
  • Metal Max Xeno – £13.99 (60% off)
  • Metal Slug 3 – £2.37 (75% off)
  • Metal Slug Anthology – £6.39 (60% off)
  • Metal Slug XX – £6.39 (60% off)
  • Monochrome Order – £7.19 (40% off) / £5.99 Plus (50% off)
  • Monster Of The Deep: Final Fantasy XV – £12.49 (50% off)
  • My Hero One's Justice – £13.74 (75% off)
  • My Hero One's Justice 2 – £28.49 (43% off)
  • Namco Museum Archives Vol 2 – £11.99 (25% off)
  • Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – £7.99 (50% off)
  • Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road To Boruto – £11.99 (70% off)
  • Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Legacy – £14.39 (70% off)
  • Necropolis: A Diabolical Dungeon Delve – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch Remastered – £15.99 (60% off)
  • Nier: Automata Game Of The Yorha Edition – £17.49 (50% off)
  • Nioh 2 – £31.34 (43% off)
  • Nioh 2 Digital Deluxe Edition – £50.24 (33% off)
  • Nippon Marathon – £2.99 (70% off)
  • Odin Sphere Leifthrasir – £17.49 (65% off)
  • Omega Quintet – £2.49 (90% off)
  • One Piece Burning Blood – £7.49 (85% off)
  • One Piece Burning Blood — Gold Edition – £9.74 (85% off)
  • One Piece World Seeker Deluxe Edition – £23.39 (70% off)
  • One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 – £24.99 (50% off)
  • One Piece: Unlimited World Red — Deluxe Edition – £8.24 (75% off)
  • One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows Deluxe Edition – £29.99 (50% off)
  • Onechanbara Z2: Chaos – £4.99 (75% off)
  • Oninaki – £22.49 (50% off)
  • Our World Is Ended. – £11.24 (75% off)
  • Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 – £3.99 (60% off)
  • Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight – £11.24 (55% off)
  • Persona 5 – £9.99 (80% off)
  • Persona 5 Royal – £37.49 (25% off)
  • Persona 5 Royal Deluxe Edition – £38.49 (30% off)
  • Persona 5 Royal Ultimate Edition – £55.24 (35% off)
  • Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection – £33.29 (63% off)
  • Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness – £15.74 (65% off)
  • Punch Line – £8.74 (75% off)
  • The Quiet Man – £2.99 (75% off)
  • Rabi-Ribi – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Raging Loop – £14.99 (40% off)
  • Resident Evil – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Resident Evil 0 – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Resident Evil 2 – £17.49 (50% off)
  • Resident Evil 3 – £24.99 (50% off)
  • Resident Evil 4 – £6.39 (60% off)
  • Resident Evil 5 – £6.39 (60% off)
  • Resident Evil 6 – £6.39 (60% off)
  • Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Gold Edition – £13.99 (60% off)
  • Romancing Saga 2 – £9.99 (50% off)
  • Root Letter – £3.19 (80% off)
  • Root Letter: Last Answer – £5.74 (77% off)
  • Saga Scarlet Grace: Ambitions – £18.74 (25% off)
  • Sakura Wars – £32.49 (35% off)
  • Sakura Wars Digital Deluxe Edition – £39.59 (40% off)
  • Samurai Shodown Neogeo Collection – £24.49 (30% off)
  • Samurai Shodown V Special – £4.79 (60% off)
  • Samurai Shodown VI – £4.79 (60% off)
  • School Girl/Zombie Hunter – £11.99 (70% off)
  • Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal – £11.19 (68% off)
  • Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal Shinobi Rivals Edition – £13.49 (70% off)
  • Sephirothic Stories – £5.99 (50% off)
  • The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights Of Britannia – £11.99 (75% off)
  • Shining Resonance Refrain – £8.74 (65% off)
  • Snk Heroines Tag Team Frenzy – £26.99 (40% off)
  • Song Of Memories – £8.99 (70% off)
  • Soulcalibur Ⅵ – £13.74 (75% off)
  • Spirit Hunter: Death Mark – £17.99 (60% off)
  • Spirit Hunter: Ng – £22.49 (50% off)
  • Star Ocean — The Last Hope — 4K And Full HD Remaster – £8.49 (50% off)
  • Star Ocean First Departure R – £11.38 (33% off)
  • Star Ocean Till The End Of Time – £8.49 (50% off)
  • Star Ocean: Iaf Digital Edition – £9.99 (60% off)
  • Steins;Gate Elite – £24.99 (50% off)
  • Steinsgate 0 – £3.99 (80% off)
  • Steinsgate: My Darling's Embrace – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Street Fighter 30Th Anniversary Collection – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Street Fighter V: Champion Edition – £18.74 (25% off)
  • Strider – £2.39 (80% off)
  • Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet Complete Edition – £12.49 (75% off)
  • Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition – £8.99 (85% off)
  • Sword Art Online: Lost Song – £11.24 (75% off)
  • Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum Session! – £9.99 (80% off)
  • Tales Of Berseria – £3.19 (80% off)
  • Tekken 7 – £7.99 (80% off)
  • Tokyo Ghoul:Re [Call To Exist] – £24.99 (50% off)
  • Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters: Daybreak Special Gigs – £4.79 (70% off)
  • Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ – £9.99 (80% off)
  • Trails Of Cold Steel III Digital Deluxe Edition – £40.29 (38% off)
  • Umbrella Corps – £2.39 (80% off)
  • Umbrella Corps Deluxe Edition – £3.29 (78% off)
  • Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[Cl-R] – £24.49 (30% off)
  • Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[St] – £5.99 (70% off)
  • Untitled Goose Game – £11.99 (25% off)
  • Utawarerumono: Deception And Truth Bundle – £8.99 (80% off)
  • Utawarerumono: Mask Of Deception – £6.24 (75% off)
  • Utawarerumono: Mask Of Truth – £6.24 (75% off)
  • Utawarerumono: Prelude To The Fallen – £34.99 (30% off)
  • Utawarerumono: Zan – £24.99 (50% off)
  • Valkyria Chronicles 4 – £9.99 (60% off)
  • Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition – £17.59 (56% off)
  • Valkyria Chronicles Remastered – £5.59 (65% off)
  • Valkyria Chronicles Remastered + Valkyria Chronicles 4 Bundle – £19.79 (56% off)
  • Valkyria Revolution – £3.99 (75% off)
  • Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story – £2.49 (75% off)
  • Vanquish – £11.99 (40% off)
  • Void Trrlm(); //Void Terrarium – £14.99 (25% off)
  • Warborn – £13.99 (30% off)
  • White Day — Ultimate Horror Edition – £19.79 (40% off)
  • White Day: A Labyrinth Named School – £4.99 (80% off)
  • Windjammers – £4.79 (60% off)
  • The Witch And The Hundred Knight 2 – £17.99 (60% off)
  • The Witch And The Hundred Knight Wicked Bundle – £21.99 (60% off)
  • The Witch And The Hundred Knight: Revival Edition – £13.99 (60% off)
  • World Of Final Fantasy – £9.99 (50% off)
  • Worldend Syndrome – £8.74 (75% off)
  • Yakuza 3 Remastered – £9.99 (50% off)
  • Yakuza 4 Remastered – £9.99 (50% off)
  • Yakuza 5 Remastered – £11.99 (40% off)
  • Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life – £11.99 (25% off)
  • Yakuza Kiwami 2 – £11.99 (25% off)
  • The Yakuza Remastered Collection – £28.99 (42% off)
  • Yakuza Zero – £10.39 (35% off)
  • Ys Origin – £6.39 (60% off)
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana – £19.67 (59% off)
  • Yu-No: A Girl Who Chants Love At The Bound Of This World. – £22.49 (50% off)
  • Zanki Zero: Last Beginning – £9.99 (80% off)
  • Zero Escape: The Nonary Games – £14.99 (70% off)
  • Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma – £11.99 (70% off)

PlayStation VR

  • Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories – £34.99 (30% off)
  • Last Labyrinth – £26.99 (27% off)
  • Megadimension Neptunia Viir – £10.49 (70% off)
  • Monster Of The Deep: Final Fantasy XV – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight – £11.24 (55% off)
  • Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight – £12.49 (50% off)
  • Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Gold Edition – £13.99 (60% off)
  • Tekken 7 – £7.99 (80% off)

PlayStation Vita

  • Garou: Mark Of The Wolves – £4.79 (60% off)
  • The King Of Fighters '97 Global Match – £4.79 (60% off)
  • The Last Blade 2 – £4.79 (60% off)
  • Metal Slug 3 – £2.37 (75% off)
  • Windjammers – £4.79 (60% off)
  • Ys Origin – £6.39 (60% off)

via HUKD

Naughty Dog rebrands The Last of Us 'Outbreak Day' celebrations for the very obvious reason

Given the pandemic that continues to afflicting our planet, Naughty Dog have decided that it's necessary to rebrand the fan celebrations for The Last of Us that are traditionally held on 26th September each year. What was previously known as 'Outbreak Day' will now be 'The Last of Us Day'.

Many fan celebrations pick the date they are held on from the game universe and lore in some way. So Mass Effect's day is on 7th November in reference to the N7 rank of Commander Shepherd, Star Wars is on 4th May because it's a bit of a soundalike for "May the Force", and Bungie Day is on 7th July because that studio has traditionally been obsessed with the number 7.

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. So, The Last of Us Day it is, but it's still attached to the emblematic date.

Naughty Dog also tease that they have "exciting things" planned for the date. We'll keep an eye out on Saturday to let you know what they are.

The Girl of Glass: A Summer Bird's Tale Review

The tradition of the Bildungsroman, or coming of age story, is well established in literature and readers have enjoyed tales of protagonists reaching maturity and independence for centuries. The immersive nature of video games makes them a perfect fit to continue this legacy, as the player embodies the character's development. This can be as grand as the increased powers of the typical Metroidvania or RPG, or as intimate as a visual novel's textual narration.

In The Girl of Glass, developer Markus with Friends has delicately blended several traditional gaming genres to tell a touching and inspirational story of one fragile girl's journey. But do these different genres fit together to produce a beautiful stained glass image, or are they a cracked and broken mirror?

The titular Girl of Glass is Kristal, a young girl we first meet as an underappreciated helper in a strange circus filled with unusual characters. Naive and nervous, her glass body perfectly represents her fragility and innocence. The circus is a refuge from the tyrannical rule of the Eagle, a terrifying leader whose followers threaten the safety and sanctuary of the circus. As the game builds, we discover that Kristal has hidden potential that can help turn the tide of resistance against the Eagle and usher in a new age of freedom. It's a fairly standard video game backstory with an unassuming character slowly becoming aware of their destiny, and fits perfectly with the coming of age tradition. As the story progresses, though, it becomes surprisingly dark and philosophical.

Aesthetically, The Girl of Glass is an absolute delight. The static backgrounds and character designs are beautifully detailed and colourful, with a hint of animated masters Studio Ghibli. The clarity of the design is particularly welcome too, as point and click adventures are too often cluttered with overly busy screens leading to frustrating pixel hunting. While dialogue is text-based, there is voiced narration which helps to develop the modern fairy tale atmosphere.

The story is developed and delivered through point and click adventure sections, as you talk to characters, find objects, and solve puzzles to move forward. The conversations here are largely well-written and take in some interestingly philosophical issues, ranging from the power of the individual to carry out their will, to the horrors carried out in the name of capitalism. There is a powerful underlying narrative about the individual establishing themselves against the defining cultural drivers of justice, industry, and religion – with the game's boss fights taking us through these aspects.

The point and click puzzling is relatively simple, with none of the bizarre leaps in logic that are so common in the genre and the focus clearly set on developing the narrative. Each area has a character you can talk to for hints so there is no danger of getting stuck and frustrated.

It is therefore a really jarring tonal shift when you enter into the strategy combat parts of the game. While these take place on a familiar turn-based, grid system, they are extremely punishing and feel very different to the gentle nature of the rest of the game's exploration. While this is probably deliberate and the effect is interesting, there will be many players who will bounce off this mode and not get to fully enjoy the rest of the game.

Combat is not optional, and the difficulty levels only change the number of hit points you can lose before being defeated (dictating how many stars you receive for achievement purposes) rather than changing damage levels or actual challenge. As later battles become more intricate and rely on using the full range of abilities and powers that you unlock, there is the potential for some really frustrating roadblocks. Given the length of these battles, having to retry the whole thing (plus the lengthy conversation beforehand in several cases) feels overly punishing. I finished the game, but think that an easier story-focused option would increase the potential audience.

Combat relies on traditional element-based attacks, with individual energy bars for abilities. Manipulating space on the battlegrid is the key, and anticipating your enemy's moves in order to neutralise their powerful attacks is essential. When this works it's a great system, and pulling off a series of successful moves is really rewarding. However, it is too easy to make mistakes and find yourself irrevocably damaged and needing to restart. With battles being long-winded affairs, especially boss fights, this gets repetitive fast.

As well as the tonal dissonance between the gentle point and click adventure and the punishing strategy battles, there is an inconsistent tone in the narrative and writing. Some of this may be a translation issue, but the sudden shift from fairy tale to swearing felt forced and didn't fit with the overall aesthetic for me. I did, however, enjoy the more philosophical aspects of the game. Literally fighting against monsters that represent the horrors of capitalism and oppression opens up some deep conversations about the role of these forces in controlling Kristal's life. There were some nice nods to the likes of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard here.

Marvel's Spider-Man PS5 remaster will have its own trophy list, but no cross-gen saves

With the announcement of a Marvel's Spider-Man remaster for PS5 last week, set to be available exclusively via the Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition, Insomniac have understandably been bombarded with questions from fans curious about what this means for the game.

In answering those questions, it's been clarified that no, you won't be able to transfer a save file from the original PS4 version of the game, but you will then be able to run through the game and earn all those trophies (and a fresh platinum trophy) all over again.

The Spider-Man remaster will be bringing across all of the enhancements that Insomniac have made to the game engine and the game assets to take advantage of the PlayStation 5. This means that the game will feature higher detail game characters for Peter Parker and others, it will also feature ray tracing and other enhanced visual effects, and the game take advantage of the console's SSD, 3D audio and DualSense controls. Oh, and it'll have some new suits.

Clearly the remaster and the Ultimate Edition in general is geared more towards newcomers to Insomniac's take on the Spider-Man universe, giving those that haven't played the game on PS4 a way to start from scratch but also have next-gen finery. I'm sure that some people will be tempted to pick it up to replay the original adventure, but it's a slight shame there's not at least the option to import a save. After all, while not confirmed, you would have to expect that saves will transfer between generations for Miles Morales, and all the other cross-gen games. Spider-Man's status as a separate remaster likely has some backend implications for how Sony's consoles handle save files.

Speaking of which, last week's announcement also revealed that Spider-Man: Miles Morales was a cross-gen game, coming to both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, with an upgrade path to next-gen. It was a surprising turn of events, considering the tone of Sony's statements about their first party games over the past half year, but a welcome one for those unable to upgrade at this time to be able to still enjoy some of Sony's upcoming games.

In our review of Marvel's Spider-Man, Gareth wrote:

Marvel's Spider-Man does a spectacular job of making you feel like the ultimate Spider-Man. From swinging through the city at high speed to fighting off legions of enemies by zipping between them and pulling them into the air, its gameplay looks like a scene from the films. It's remarkably well realised in terms of its world, design, and even technically, with short loading times and a rock solid framerate even on the base PlayStation 4. If Spider-Man is your thing then this is an essential purchase.

You can read the full review here.

Source: Twitter

Evergate Review

Navigating the afterlife as the child-like spirit Ki, Evergate is a game that asks you to explore past memories that depict Ki's connection to another soul. As you continue through the game's particular twist on the indie platformer, you learn more and more about the story of Ki's life.

The platforming of Evergate is simple to pick up, but comes with the twist of Ki's Soulflame. As you jump, you can activate this beam, slowing time as you point it in a particular direction, and then use it to propel yourself forward. The goal is always the same, to reach the next gate and skim through to the next level and part of the story. That might sound simple, but the beam must intersect with one of the many yellow crystals on screen and end on one of the magical glowing panels in order to propel you forward. As the game progresses through the different landscapes, your Soulflame ability changes as new crystal types appear. It could transform to being able to create platforms or teleport you to where you need to be instead of acting as a method of propulsion.

Part of the puzzle is working out the route and how to use your abilities to collect essence, which is scattered throughout the levels. Collecting essence allows you to gain abilities that help you advance through the levels. Evergate is ingenious in its conception, with each aspect of gameplay well thought out to create a beautiful world to explore.

A problem I found, however, was that the game could be so frustratingly difficult, even in the earlier levels, which all had a suggested completion time of around 20 seconds. Some levels took me up to an hour to complete, due to one specific grievance. Evergate demands pinpoint accuracy. If you miss a jump or a beam activation by a split-second, you will invariably need to restart the level. This led to a lot of repetition, which turned to frustration, and then mistakes, more repetition, and so on. It feels more like a vicious cycle rather than the interesting puzzle platforming I believe Stone Lantern was aiming for. For a game that is so simple in design and concept, Evergate is unwaveringly and infuriatingly difficult in ways it didn't need to be.

An easy fix, as it were, would be to have a more forgiving difficulty setting. While I can push myself to struggle through the levels, there's not much fun in suffering through a game, no matter how enjoyable the concept is. Masocore platformers have their place and appeal, but the difficulty here is less a technical challenge and more how finicky the timing is.

Despite this, the landscapes depicted were beautiful and detailed, with an eerie glow reminiscent of Ori and the Blind Forest. The atmosphere varied between the areas, from a dark, almost unnerving Chinese forest to the open, calm, icy plains of Alaska, allowing you to travel the world alongside Ki.

Not only is the artwork stunningly varied from level to level, but the score adapts itself for each world, matching the visual aesthetic depicted. This stunning level of synergy allowed for true immersion, letting you feel as you belong to the memories in the game. Between levels, memories are depicted more clearly as the levels seamlessly connect to one another. Above all, the animation in Evergate is impeccable, and is the game's saving grace.

The Xbox One X jumps up 1,368 places on the Amazon sales charts

I'm not saying that naming your new console almost identically to your old one is a bad move but there may be just one or two disappointed faces around the Christmas tree come this December. Today, on the launch of pre-orders for the Xbox Series X, Microsoft's old console, the Xbox One X, has jumped as massive 1,368 places up Amazon's 'Movers and Shakers' charts, and at full price as well.

The 431% increase in sales could be attributed to a sudden interest overall in the Xbox brand or.. well, that's about the only thing I can think of other than people have just bought the wrong console. It's a very odd time to be buying a soon to be obsolete console at top dollar, especially when the more powerful Xbox Series S is $255 cheaper.

The 1TB Xbox Series X is at number eight in Amazon's charts and also has an entry at number 15, where the console is packaged with a controller. Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, and Watch Dogs Legion, all on Xbox One, have also seen huge sales boosts but as they all come with free Xbox Series X upgrades that appears to make sense.

There are another anomalies, a Switch controller has had a 4,385% increase for no apparent reason, it's not on sale but maybe there was an new advertising campaign. Anyway, if you have just bought an Xbox from Amazon maybe check you got the right one, just in case.

You can't blame consumers for getting the wrong console, Microsoft themselves are also having trouble.

If you have not ordered your new console yet here in the UK then be wary of extra charges. Anyone who ordered a PS5 last week from GAME will not be charged, but anyone who ordered an Xbox Series X|S today will get the £10 on top. Any future orders of PS5s, Xbox Series X|S, or Oculus Quest 2 from GAME will have that charge too. Eurogamer has been trying to get a comment from GAME, but the company has yet to offer any answers as to why this charge is being levied when other retailers are offering free delivery on all pre-orders for the next generation of consoles.

According to Eurogamer's sources the decision for the delivery fee has come from GAME's parent company Fraser Group, though that is yet to be confirmed. Currently, retailers are waiting for more PS5 pre-orders and Sony apologised for how the pre-orders were handled. Today, Xbox Series X|S pre-orders went live and you can see the current state of availability of Microsoft's console in the UK and North America.

Source: Amazon via Twitter

Remothered: Broken Porcelain release date brought forward

Modus Games has announced a release date for change for the upcoming horror title Remothered: Broken Porcelain, and this is not a delay. Instead, Modus has confirmed that the release date for Remothered: Broken Porcelain has been moved forward instead of pushed back, and the new release date is October 13th. The reason for the move according to Modus is the fact that October is a stacked with releases, so wanted to move slightly away from the packed window.

Shane Bierwith, EVP of global marketing at Modus, said:

"This is an incredibly busy month for games, particularly horror games. While moving dates forward isn't common, we'd like to allow horror fans to get their hands on Broken Porcelain early so players can have more time to experience all the great games releasing around Halloween."

Remothered: Broken Porcelain had been delayed before with the original August release date pushed back to October 20th. The game sees the return of Rosemary Reed, the protagonist of Remothered: Tormented Fathers, as she looks to continue the story in the search for Celeste. There is also a new protagonist called Jennifer who is trying to find her way out from the horrifying Ashmann Inn. In our preview of Remothered: Broken Porcelain, Steve wrote:

As a taster for the full game, this preview worked really well. It is clear that Stormind Games have listened to fans and critics in refining the central mechanics, and the initial hints at the storyline certainly have me intrigued. I hope that the object interaction and QTEs are tightened up in the full release, but am looking forward to spending some dark autumn evenings exploring the horrors of The Ashmann Inn and whatever other locations the game includes.

You can read the full Remothered: Broken Porcelain preview here. The game is to be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC for £24.99/€29.99 and Nintendo Switch for £29.99/€34.99.

Source: Press Release

GAME begins charging £10 delivery for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S pre-orders

Lots and lots of people have been, or attempting to, order next generation consoles. Be it the PS5 disc or digital version, the Xbox Series X, or the Xbox Series S, there has been plenty of interest. Various retailers have been selling out of consoles as people look for stock and get a confirmed order. Some of those who have pre-ordered would have gone to the UK's most well known gaming retailer GAME in search of stock. What was not expected was for GAME to start charging a £9.99 delivery charge on next gen console pre-orders.

Anyone who ordered a PS5 last week from GAME will not be charged, but anyone who ordered an Xbox Series X|S today will get the £10 on top. Any future orders of PS5s, Xbox Series X|S, or Oculus Quest 2 from GAME will have that charge too. Eurogamer has been trying to get a comment from GAME, but the company has yet to offer any answers as to why this charge is being levied when other retailers are offering free delivery on all pre-orders for the next generation of consoles.

According to Eurogamer's sources the decision for the delivery fee has come from GAME's parent company Fraser Group, though that is yet to be confirmed. Currently, retailers are waiting for more PS5 pre-orders and Sony apologised for how the pre-orders were handled. Today, Xbox Series X|S pre-orders went live and you can see the current state of availability of Microsoft's console in the UK and North America.

Source: Eurogamer

The Elder Scrolls Online won't leave PS4 after Bethesda Microsoft deal

Developer ZeniMax Online Studios have announced that The Elder Scrolls Online will not be dropping support for PlayStation 4 following this week's news that parent company, ZeniMax Media, has been acquired by Microsoft.

It's a huge get for the Xbox brand and one sorely needed as Microsoft and Sony lock horns yet again with the impending launch of the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, the latter seeming like the more popular option among most.

However, with Microsoft having snapped up ZeniMax – and therefore, Bethesda – this has left many questioning what will become of future and existing titles published by the company, including The Elder Scrolls Online.

Well, according to ZeniMax Online Studios, support for the PlayStation 4 version of their ever-expanding MMO, as well as the newly launched Google Stadia version, will not cease as a result of the surprise buyout. Here's an official statement from Studio Director, Matt Firor:

By now I am sure that most of you have heard the exciting news: Zenimax Media (the parent company of Zenimax Online Studios) has signed a deal to be acquired by Microsoft, including Bethesda Softworks and all of its studios, including ZOS. I want to take this moment to reassure the entire Elder Scrolls Online community that ESO will continue to be supported exactly as it was, and we fully expect it to keep growing and thriving on each of the platforms that are currently supported. We are very with news, and can't wait to see how the two companies working together can make ESO even better for everyone.

I definitely want to thank you, the dedicated community that makes Elder Scrolls Online the huge phenomenon that it is today – we created the world, but it is you all: the fans and community of the game that give it life. Thank you so much for being part of the success story of ZOS and ESO – and rest assured in the knowledge that we are focused on supporting you for many more years to come.

While ESO will remain unaffected, it's likely that the Microsoft deal will mean future projects from Bethesda studios will be exclusive to Xbox platforms or Game Pass.

The Elder Scrolls Online recently launched its latest expansion, Greymoor, earlier this year.

Source: Twitter (@TESOnline)

For Honor – how to play against bots

Whether you're returning to For Honor after a long break or have only just purchased a copy of Ubisoft's fighting game, queuing for that first match can be daunting. Although For Honor attempts to match you with other players of a similar skill rating, there's always a chance you'll get pitted against someone waiting to eviscerate you.

In truth, that's the best way to learn or relearn how this unique duelling game works though you might want to cut your teeth by playing against some bots first. There are a few ways to do this – not all of them are clear, and one method requires the Marching Fire expansion.

With For Honor Year 4 Season 3 having just gone live, here's how to get some practice in against those CPUs!

Tutorials

The first place you should go if you're looking to hone your fighting skills is the training section of the main menu. Since launch, Ubisoft have greatly improved the learning tools and tutorials in For Honor with a straight up practice arena as well as the "Hero Tactics" mode which gives you a crash course on any selected hero.

Campaign

The story-driven campaign is an often overlooked chunk of the core For Honor package. Due to how the combat is designed, it's not exactly a great fit for these longer missions in which you fight a mix of grunts, leaders, and boss characters.

Is For Honor still worth playing in 2020?

Still, there's some value to playing the campaign. After every few missions it cycles in a new hero for you to try, each with their own movesets and playstyles. This mode will also familiarise you with the game's setting and lore.

Competitive

In For Honor you can play against bots in any of the multiplayer game modes. This is a great opportunity to learn the flow of team-based matches such as Tribute, Dominion, and Breach, without the pressure of going up against real life opponents.

When selecting a game type, you have the option to toggle between the "Player vs. Player" and "Player vs. AI" matchmaking queues. You may not want to play with any other human players at all and there's a hidden way of doing this. Switching to "Player vs. AI" then tap Square/X to pop open a parameters menu where you can disable matchmaking. Viola!

Arcade

For those who have purchased the For Honor complete edition or Marching Fire expansion, there's another great way of testing your might against bots. Either solo or with a friend you can enter the Arcade gauntlet.

This clever extension to the core game presents you with a small series of back-to-back battles. These fights are constantly changing with new opponents and match conditions each time to keep Arcade feeling fresh. You'll go up against solo enemies, pairs, and trios, with buffs and debuffs (such as bleed effect, unblockable attacks etc.) adding a little twist to each encounter.

As you can see, there are plenty of options when it comes to getting some practice in against AI fighters. Once you've built a mass grave of bots then it's time to cross swords with For Honor players across the world.

Quantum Error no longer a PlayStation exclusive, now coming to Xbox consoles

In March, TeamKill Media revealed the first person horror title Quantum Error for PS5 and PS4. Since that announcement there have been trailers showing the type of horror one could expect in the game. Now, TeamKill Media has announced that Quantum Error will no longer be a PlayStation exclusive, and that it will be released for Xbox Series X|S, The developer confirmed in a tweet and why the decision was made to go multiplatform.

As you can see from the Tweets the decision was made following showcases of Quantum Error at gamescom and the Future Games Show, where interest was gauged to be high enough to bring the horror title to the Xbox consoles. The story description is as follows:

When the Monad Quantum Research Facility – 30 miles off the shore of CA – is attacked by an unknown entity, engulfing the complex in flames and putting it into a full containment lock-down, a distress call is sent for mutual aid to the Garboa Fire Dept in San Francisco, CA. Fire Chief Sturgis answers the call and sends you – Capt. Jacob Thomas – your partner Shane Costa and a crew by helicopter to the Monad Facility. Your mission is simple: save as many lives from the burning complex as possible and get out.  However, what starts as a rescue mission quickly plummets into darkness, when you arrive and find that things are not as they appear.

A release date for Quantum Error has yet to be confirmed.

Source: Twitter

A short Bithell announces A Bithell Short: The Solitaire Conspiracy

The below average height* indie game darling, Mike Bithell, has announced the latest game in his Bithell Shorts series.

"As longtime players of our nonsense will know, we tend to mix things up between our larger projects with 'Shorts', more experimental games that explore side ideas or genres that we don't get to play with in the likes of Volume or John Wick," said Mike on Twitter.

"So… what if Solitaire, but extra, with powers and a full FMV storied campaign, time attack and skirmish modes!" he adds, describing his new game, The Solitaire Conspiracy.

The game finds you playing as Jim Ratio (Greg Miller), one of the surviving members of Protego, the world's leading spy agency, which has recently been destroyed. By playing a tactical version of Solitaire and utilise the special powers each crew has you must reform the agency,

Once you've taken back control of Protego you can play two extra modes, Skirmish which is an infinite mode, or Countdown, "a survival mode that will test your grasp of the game's surprising tactical depths."

Here are those ever so important key features.

Key Features:

  • Three modes make this the biggest Bithell Short yet! Campaign tells a tightly packed story and introduces the game's mechanics. Countdown tests your endurance with wave after wave of unique decks, and Skirmish gives you an infinite playground to enjoy unlocked crews.
  • Beautiful original character artwork and atmospheric design put you at the heart of your own cyberpunk conspiracy.
  • No heightened game of Solitaire would be complete without full FMV cutscenes, featuring Greg Miller and Inel Tomlinson in an original story from the team behind Thomas Was Alone, Volume, Subsurface Circular and John Wick Hex.
  • The soundtrack for your adventures is provided by Jon Everist (Battletech, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, Shadowrun: Dragonfall).

The game is only scheduled for Steam and the Epic Games Store at the moment but when asked if it could come to other platforms Mike said "bluntly and honestly, it depends on how it does here."

The Solitaire Conspiracy. launches on 6th October, you can Steam Wish List it here or do the same on the Epic Games Store.

Source: Twitter / Steam

*Writers opinion based on the one time he ran in to Mike at a PlayStation event and gushed about Thomas Was Alone. Please note writer is 6'5″ and therefore everyone is short to him. 

The Cyberpunk 2077 campaign will be shorter than The Witcher 3's as many "never made it to the end"

The Witcher III: Wild Hunt is an excellent game but it's damn long, and according to CD Projekt Red many people got far in to the fifty hour campaign but never finished it. As a result of this the main campaign for Cyberpunk 2077 is "slightly shorter".

During the recent Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire the senior quest designer on the game, Patrick K. Mills, said the following.

"The difference between a completionist run and a main story run… we do know that the main story run in Cyberpunk 2077 is slightly shorter than The Witcher 3 because we got a lot of complaints about Witcher 3's main story just being too long."

"Looking at the metrics, you see tremendous numbers of people played through that game really far, but never made it to the end. We want you to see the full story, so we did shorten the main story, but we have lots to do, and in terms of a completionist campaign, I just don't have that number," he added.

As CD Projekt Red close in on the release of Cyberpunk 2077, they've reached a point at which they can share the minimum and recommended specs you'll need to play the game on PC. Luckily, with the game targeting current gen consoles, they're really quite low, but if you want all the finery that the game can produce in gameplay videos, you'll need to be going way beyond even the recommended specs – you won't get ray tracing on a GTX 1060!

Minimum Specs Recommended Specs
OS 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 10 64-bit windows 10
CPU Intel Core i5-3570k or AMD FX 8310 Intel Core i7-4790 or AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
RAM 8GB 12GB
GPU Nvidia GTX 780 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 470 Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or AMD R9 Fury
Storage 70GB 70GB SSD

 

Cyberpunk 2077 is out for Xbox One, PS4 and PC on 19th November. It will be playable on Xbox Series X | S at that point – the consoles coming out on 10th November – and on PlayStation 5 on November 11th/19th, but next-gen enhancements will not be there on day one. The game could take some advantages next-gen beyond simple backward compatibility, but for ray tracing and other more integral enhancements, we'll have to wait.

Source ResetEra via IGN

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

The final countdown to Europa (aha!) has begun and Guardians across the globe are sat watching the countdown timer on the Season Pass page of Destiny 2, quietly muttering "Oh god we've still got seven weeks to go and there's nothing to do".

To pass at least 1minute 48 seconds of that wait Bungie have released a new trailer for Beyond Light, the next expansion to the game. "Beyond the surface of this frozen wasteland lies the secret that can win our fight. Are you bold enough to dive deep into Europa's dark history to uncover the truth?" they ask.

The trailer begins with a voiceover which sounds suspiciously like the Servitor from the Prison of Elders but without the glitches. We then get to see the various races from the game on the planet including the Fallen and the Vex, and some large cityscapes in the background. At 52 seconds in there's a quick shot of what appears to be some sort of experimentation chamber with a figure from an unknown race and some sort of Vex, is the Darkness looking for something? Perhaps a thing called love? OK, OK, I'll stop the pop puns, shush.

There's also shots of the new  Stasis powers and – huzzah – tanks are back! We also get a quick look at  a boss that seems to be an upgraded version of the metal beast from the end of the Scourge of the Past raid.

Stasis is a new element to go along Arc, Solar, and Void and brings new subclasses to each of the three Guardian types.

  • Warlocks become Shadebinders, harnessing the power of Darkness to bend the battle to their will.
  • Hunters become Revenants, striking hard and striking fast.
  • Titans become Behemoths, controlling the fight by controlling the ground.

Bungie's blurb about Stasis is as follows:

A new power is born out of the ancient Pyramid ship above Europa's frozen frontier, and a dark empire has risen beneath, united under the banner of the Fallen Kell of Darkness, Eramis. Join your fellow Guardians and bring down the empire at any cost – even if it means wielding the Darkness itself.

As the new threat emerges, so too does a mysterious new power – Stasis. Rooted in Darkness, Guardians will wield this new elemental power alongside Arc, Solar, and Void to dominate the battlefield. Titans, Warlocks, and Hunters each use Stasis in a different way, from slowing down foes with Stasis fields to encasing and shattering enemies with destructive might.

Bungie has just 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: YouTube

Xbox Series X|S pre-orders UK – Series X out of stock again, Series S still available

After the chaos of last week, Microsoft are hoping that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S pre-orders are a bit more orderly. Pre-orders will be going live today at 8AM local time, and we've got links to all participating retailers in the UK ready below.

Updates: Some sites have continued to struggle, and Xbox Series X is now out of stock, while Xbox Series S is available to pre-order almost across the board. We've got retailer updates below. Keep trying and good luck!

The Xbox Series X will be priced at $499.99 / £449.99 / €499.99, while the lower-powered Xbox Series S comes in at $299.99 / £249.99 / €299.99. Alternatively, there is All Access 24-month payment plan available at select retailers. Both consoles will be launching globally on 10th November, marking the start of the next generation.

Xbox Series X | S UK Pre-Orders:

Xbox Series S available to order

Upcoming Xbox Series X availability

  • John Lewis ** – Seemingly not part of the pre-order gang just yet… 

Out of Stock

* Deposit required ** Payment required at time of order

Additionally, Microsoft, Game and Smyths Toys will be selling the console under the All Access payment plan in the UK. This spreads out the cost to be $24.99 / £20.99 per month for Series S, and $34.99 / £28.99 per month for Series X. This also bundles in an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which will soon include EA Play games and benefits.

Elsewhere in the world, the console will be available, or already is available at the following locations.

  • United States (8AM PT / 11AM ET): Microsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Target, Sam's Club, Newegg, and other participating retailers
  • Canada (8AM PT): Microsoft Store, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, EB Games, The Source, and other participating retailers
  • Australia (8AM AEST): Microsoft Store, JB Hifi, EB Games, Telstra, Harvey Norman, and other participating retailers
  • New Zealand (8AM NZST): Microsoft Store, JB HiFi, EB Games, Spark, and other participating retailers
  • Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (9AM CEST) at Microsoft Store, Amazon, MediaMarkt, GameStop, FNAC, Elkjøp/Elgiganten, and other participating retailers. These will differ from country to country.

Yesterday, Microsoft stunned the gaming world by announcing they are buying Bethesda and its catalogue of beloved studios and game franchises. Bethesda will continue to publish game independently, and existing exclusivity deals and partnerships will remain, but there's a very real possibility that the next Elder Scrolls game, Wolfenstein, Starfield, and more could become Xbox Series X|S console exclusives. At the very least, all Bethesda games will now be added to Xbox Game Pass.

Xbox Series X|S pre-orders US & Canada – Both Series X and Series S go out of stock

It's time of Microsoft to kick off their pre-orders for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Pre-orders are going live today at 8AM local time, which in the US means 8AM PT and 11AM ET, and we've got a set of handy links to retailers below.

Update: Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are both out of stock in most places, though MS have the Series S in Canada. Scroll down to see everywhere we've been tracking – Last update at 11:50PM PT.

The Xbox Series X will be priced at $499.99 USD / $599.99 CAD, while the lower-powered Xbox Series S comes in at $299.99 USD / $379.99 CAD. Alternatively, there is All Access 24-month payment plan available at select retailers. Both consoles will be launching globally on 10th November, marking the start of the next generation.

Xbox Series X | S pre-orders from 8AM PT / 11AM ET

Xbox Series X pre-orders (US)

Xbox Series X pre-orders (Canada)

Xbox Series S pre-orders (US)

Xbox Series S pre-orders (Canada)

Notes: Where no direct product page is available, we've linked to a relevant search or category page. GameStop's website is offline at the time of writing.

Additionally, Microsoft, Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart will be selling the console under the All Access payment plan in the UK. This spreads out the cost to be $24.99 per month for Series S, and $34.99 per month for Series X. This also bundles in an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which will soon include EA Play games and benefits.

Elsewhere in the world, the console will be available, or already is available at the following locations.

  • UK (8AM BST): Microsoft Store, GAME, Amazon, Dixons, Currys PC World, Argos, John Lewis, Smyths Toys, VERY, AO, Tesco, Simply Games, ShopTo and other participating retailers
  • Canada (8AM PT): Microsoft Store, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, EB Games, The Source, and other participating retailers
  • Australia (8AM AEST): Microsoft Store, JB Hifi, EB Games, Telstra, Harvey Norman, and other participating retailers
  • New Zealand (8AM NZST): Microsoft Store, JB HiFi, EB Games, Spark, and other participating retailers
  • Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (9AM CEST) at Microsoft Store, Amazon, MediaMarkt, GameStop, FNAC, Elkjøp/Elgiganten, and other participating retailers. These will differ from country to country.

Yesterday, Microsoft stunned the gaming world by announcing they are buying Bethesda and its catalogue of beloved studios and game franchises. Bethesda will continue to publish game independently, and existing exclusivity deals and partnerships will remain, but there's a very real possibility that the next Elder Scrolls game, Wolfenstein, Starfield, and more could become Xbox Series X|S console exclusives. At the very least, all Bethesda games will now be added to Xbox Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass now has over 15 million subscribers

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass is growing rapidly, with the company announcing that the game subscription service now has 15 million subscribers. That's up from the 10 million subscriber milestone they passed back in April.

The news was tucked away in yesterday's breaking news that Microsoft are buying Bethesda and all its studios and game properties for $7.5 billion. This will naturally see all of Bethesda's games now added to Xbox Game Pass, and future titles added to Game Pass on the day of their release, as with Microsoft's other first party titles.

That's yet another feather in Microsoft's cap, after announcing that EA Play would be rolled in Game Pass later this year, around the launch of the next-generation of console, and the introduction of game streaming to Android devices at no extra cost.

However, even with millions of subscribers, Microsoft have admitted that Game Pass is not a particularly profitable venture at the moment. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg said back in July that it's "not a big profit play" in the short term, but that they're hoping to foster customer loyalty and spread through word of mouth.

The service clearly targets the same kind of instant appeal that video streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime have, offering over 150 games across several generations of game console. However, Microsoft have been aggressively pushing the service, offering a first month trial for $1/£1, and letting these trials convert existing Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions up to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Frugal gamers could have come out well ahead in this equation.

Xbox Game Pass is available across Xbox One, PC and Android, and will also play a major role in the next generation with Xbox Series X | S. The Xbox Series S is a lower-powered and cheaper console priced at £249/$299, but it comes without a disc drive, meaning that much of the appeal comes from it granting access to Xbox Game Pass library. Even with the Series X, the price of Xbox Game Pass is becoming more and more appealing as Sony, Activision, 2K Games and others look to increase the standard price of their games from $60 to $70.

Still, given Sony's ability to continually break their own records for exclusive game sales and new IPs, it's pretty clear why Jim Ryan thinks Game Pass doesn't make sense for them.

Source: Microsoft

No FIFA 21 demo before release, EA confirms

FIFA 21 won't have a playable demo ahead of its October launch publisher EA have confirmed to footie fans.

Those players look to get some early hands on time with this year's FIFA are out of luck it seems. Considering that most previous entries in the power-selling football franchise have had downloadable demos available for multiple platforms, the lack of one this year comes as a disappointment.

EA Sports issued the following statement, confirming that there will be no FIFA 21 demo:

We aren't releasing a demo for FIFA 21. Instead we've made the decision to focus our development team's time on delivering the best full game experience for current & next-gen consoles. We look forward to EA PLAY members jumping in 10 days from now and launching the game Oct 9.

Of course, there will be cynics out there claiming that EA have deliberately held off on releasing a FIFA 21 demo in order to drive up EA PLAY subscriptions. Up until its recent name change from EA Access, EA PLAY is the publisher's premium service which offers an instant library of games as well as discounts and early access trials among other benefits. Available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC (via Steam) the service is priced at £3.99 a month or £19.99 annually.

Whether or not EA will launch a FIFA 21 demo further down the line remains unclear though hopefully they will.

FIFA 21 will be out for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 9th, with free upgrades to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X via EA's homegrown Dual Entitlement scheme. This will allow free upgrades to take place from the launch of the next-gen consoles up until the release of FIFA 22 next year.

In other FIFA 21 news, here we have the game's full PlayStation 4 trophy list – how tough do you think this year's virtual cabinet of silverware compares to previous years?

Source: Twitter (@EASPORTSFIFA)

Monster Hunter Rise Amiibo will launch next year

Monster Hunter Rise will be launching next year on the Nintendo Switch and with it comes a new cluster of toys to life figures for fans to get their hands on.

Revealed during last week's Nintendo Direct Mini showcase alongside Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, Monster Hunter Rise is a new entry in the core series, steering away from the massively popular Monster Hunter: World.

Monster Hunter Rise – 7 things you need to know

Monster Hunter Rise has been confirmed as a Nintendo Switch exclusive title alongside Stories 2. As such, Capcom and Nintendo will be launching new amiibo figures alongside the game which can be used to unlocked certain bonuses.

As shown in the below tweet from Nintendo of Europe, there will be at least 3 Monster Hunter Rise amiibo coming next year including the Palamute, Magnamalo, and Palico.

The Palamute is a new canine companion who will ride out on excursions with hunters, allowing them to travel much faster while also adopting an offensive role in combat. Of course, you can also take a Palico with you though these cat-like creatures are more of a traditional support option as they have been in past Monster Hunter games. Meanwhile the Magnamalo will be Capcom's flagship beastie for Monster Hunter Rise.

In terms of where to buy these new amiibo, they will be sold exclusively via the MyNintendo Store for EU gamers, and at GameStop for those in the United States.

Pricing info discovered by amiibo Alerts reveals that the Magnamalo figure will be slightly more expensive than the other two. It's reasonable to assume this is because the figure will be bigger than both the Palamute and Palico though we have yet to hear confirmation via Nintendo or Capcom.

Monster Hunter Rise will launch on Nintendo Switch next year on March 26th, 2021. For more on Rise, we've put together a handy list of 7 things you need to know about the game right now.

Source: Twitter (via DualShockers)

FitXR Review

In a world where we work from home, meet friends on Zoom, and where even your mum has an actual mobile phone with a working phone number, it's clear that the human experience is changing and evolving before our eyes through connectivity and technology.

Generally speaking, all this tech use (and your office suddenly being twelve steps from your bed) is not ideal for your health, but wait! Technology is here set right what it has done wrong! Let me introduce you to FitXR; a virtual reality fitness class that will sit on your head and tell you what to do. It's a bit like a buff, gym-obsessed sorting hat.

FitXR's younger sibling, BoxVR, did a very good job of making you sweat into the expensive piece of tech you're wearing by punching at thin air. FitXR – a free upgrade is available for BoxVR owners – wants you to carry on doing that, just with other people able to see it. In their desire to get the oxygen flowing around your body even faster, the folks over at eponymous studio FitXR have decided that the spirit of competition is what pushes you to the limit of human stamina. Having experienced it for myself, I really think it's true.

You'll begin by filling in your membership form in the voluminous entranceway of a decidedly swish virtual gym, selecting your gender, weight and age, before it starts trying to shuffle you off into your first class. Here you'll learn about the correct stance and the different types of punches and obstacles that are going to be heading your way at an increasingly worrying rate.

The overarching method of getting your heartrate up is unchanged from BoxVR. It will put you in either left or right stance, and you'll find different icons heading for you that you have to punch out of digital existence. The most common are straights, but there's plenty of hooks and uppercuts before you're also leaning or ducking out of the way. Oh, and you have to block as well.

So far, so BoxVR, but the experience has clearly been tightened up. The way you throw punches is less telegraphed, and it now captures the speed of those movements too, giving you the first marker to rate yourself against in an effort to spur you on to try just a little bit harder.

The presence of other people is also now key to the experience. We've known since Space Invaders that chasing a spot on a leaderboard is a heady thrill, and FitXR builds that into the experience with a massive leaderboard just in front of you. A quick glance will let you know where you are, and if you're not at the top you're going to throw those punches like a desperate Rocky Balboa. If you are at the top, then you'll probably try even harder being the Apollo Creed of this virtual contest. After all, who knows when Clubber Lang or Ivan Drago are going to show up?

If you need a touch more motivation, FitXR has an array of virtual trainers to egg you on. This is one of the weaker aspect of FitXR's fitness class schtick, with the voice samples overlaying the music tracks in a fairly amateurish style. What they're saying is fine – it's worth knowing that you've levelled up or that you're throwing punches faster – but the implementation is a little off.

There's a decent amount of content to be found as standard, with a healthy number of training sessions stretching from a modest three minutes up to a soul – and arm – destroying sixty-one. There's dance, pop and rock music options, though this is the Imagine Dragons end of the rock spectrum, so don't expect anything like Avenged Sevenfold.

There's also a daily workout to give you a clear reason to return every day, and regular workouts being added all the time. If you somehow burn through all of this, there's a storefront containing more specific sets of workouts, with the current line-up including Essentials, Extreme, Rock and Total Body Pack.