Balan Wonderworld's Colorful Opening Cinematic And Boxart Revealed

Balan Wonderworld_02

We live in a terrible and dark world that is nothing more than a struggle for survival as the rich and powerful play games with our lives and the wicked go free as good men are crushed by the weight of the world. That's why it's always good to bring a little balance to things with fun and colorful titles such as Balan Wonderworld. The game was revealed earlier this year, and we recently found out it'll be coming in March. Today, we also got a look at its opening cinematic and boxart.

As you can see below via the official Twitter, the opening is as colorful and as magical as what we've seen previously. The game is a 3D platformer where you must explore 12 worlds while utilizing various abilities from costumes you collect. You also get a very brief peek at the boxart at the very end.

Balan Wonderworld will release on March 26th 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Switch and PC.

Starfield Could Have New Animation System Rewrote "From Scratch", Per Resume Listing – Rumor

starfield

For a good while now we've been hearing about Starfield, a new IP from Bethesda with lots of promises of being their next epic RPG to stand alongside Fallout and Elder Scrolls. We know nothing about it and have only seen a single alleged leaked screenshot from this massive project. A new piece of information could have come to light which may excite you, or not, depending on how well you know Bethesda.

Twitter user JJ&MrOrange discovered a LinkIn page for an Eric Braun, who worked on Starfield according to his resume as a Senior Programmer. As you can see below, in his description he says he help to rewrite the animation system for the game "from scratch."

This actually matches up with statement from Todd Howard that said the game would come with a major engine rewrite. But to play the cynic, we've heard things of that nature from Bethesda before and, well, I imagine if you know their games you know the rest. Of course, who knows at the end of the day. As it stands we have no time frame nor platforms for Starfield, though considering recent events I doubt it'll end up being a timed exclusive for the PS5 like was allegedly the plan.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare/Warzone Haunting Of Verdansk Event Begins Tomorrow

call of duty warzone

While we're on the verge of the next Call of Duty with Black Ops Cold War, there's still an COD title that is ongoing now with Modern Warfare, as well as the new Warzone mode that looks to be a big part of the franchise's future. Of course, it's also nearly Halloween, meaning everyone is putting on their best spookiness, with no exception here.

For both Modern Warfare and Warzone, tomorrow will see the beginning of the Halloween event, the Haunting of Verdansk. It will include new weapons as well as new skins, some of which come from popular horror franchise Saw and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Alongside that will be the Trick or Treat reward system, where supply boxes can contain either a nice treat or nasty tricks, as well a night-time setting. You can check out the trailer below and read full details through here.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone are available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The Haunting of Verdansk will run starting October 20th and go up until November 3rd.

Godfall Developer Says Playing With The PS5's DualSense Is "Incredible"

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It's hard to believe with everything that's gone on this year, but we're less than a month away from the launch of next generation consoles from both Sony and Microsoft. One of the first games revealed for next gen was Godfall, which will launch alongside the PS5, and the developers are liking one aspect of the console.

In an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine UK (November 2020), the CEO of Counterplay Games talked briefly about the system, specifically the DualSense. He described using it as nothing short of "incredible," referencing how you were able to "sculpt" the vibrations to specific situations in-game.

He's not the first to praise the controller as both first party developers as well as third party ones have seemingly been impressed with the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Of course, at the beginning of every gen it feels like there's certain features or accessories that are hyped up but don't end up having longevity. Only time will tell if this case will end up being like, but the first step is to get one in our hands when the PlayStation 5 launches on November 12th.

XIII Highlights The "Good Old Weapons;" Confirms Switch Version Delay

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Earlier this year we got an announcement that the cult classic XIII would be returning. The cel-shaded shooter based on the French graphic novel of the same name flew under the radar somewhat when it originally released in 2003. It'll be out next month (on most platforms, but more on that in a second), and today we got a new trailer to highlight the good ol' times.

A new trailer highlights the various weapons you'll be able to use from the standards things such as the 9mm pistol and the M16 to the more inventive ones such as the Harpoon and Combat Knives. There's also a few other useful tools at the end, such as your lockpick. On the less nostalgic side, alongside the trailer also came confirmation that the Switch version would see a delay, though the other versions are still on track.

XIII will release on November 10th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The Switch version will now release at some point in 2021.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Video Showcases Various Brute Force Skills

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Ubisoft has revealed a lot of information about Assassin's Creed Valhalla before launch, even confirming that Jotunheim and Asgard would be in the game. In a new video with IGN, however, lead systems designer Marc-Antoine Pietri goes into more detail about the various combat skills that players can use. Check it out below.

The focus in this video is "brute force", whether it's executing finishers on stunned foes or stomping on them for massive damage. Players can also fire highly damaging arrows at foes with enough charge time, tackle them, throw axes and unleash a flurry of strikes. Some enemies will even have weak points that can be shot to completely deplete their defense.

We also get another look at Eivor's settlement, which is where he'll unlock facilities like the Blacksmith for upgrading weapons and the Fishing Hut for unlocking the Fishing Line. Tons of other facilities exist and should provide compelling enough reasons to improve the settlement. You can read more about them here.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is out on November 10th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PC and Google Stadia. It releases on November 12th for PS5.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Beta Extended to Tomorrow

call of duty black ops cold war

The open beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was set to end today but has been given a slight extension. It's now slated to end tomorrow at 10 AM PT, giving PS4, Xbox One and PC players another full day of skill-based matchmaking and bizarre sliding physics fun. Cross-play is also active, allowing for more refinement on the system.

What brought about the extension of the beta? It was actually due to the community solving a bunch of codes emailed by Activision. Fairly straightforward but Treyarch praised the "code-breaking efforts" of its fans all the same.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is slated to release on November 13th worldwide. It will be available for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. As a follow-up to the first Black Ops, it will see Mason, Woods and Hudson reunited and working with a new protagonist named Bell. The crew will be looking to take out a Soviet spy codenamed Perseus before bad things happen.

https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/1317571157688635392

Rainbow Six Siege is Coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console and Android Later This Week

rainbow six siege

Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege is bar none one of the biggest games in the industry right now, and has been for several years running. It's a game that's been consistently excellent for a long time now, having revived itself after a poor launch, while constant updates and post-launch additions and improvements have also led to a large, dedicated, and ever-growing playerbase.

Now, it seems that playerbase is going to grow even larger. After the recent (not-so-subtle) tease, it has now been officially confirmed that Rainbow Six Siege will be coming to Xbox Game Pass for console and Android devices (via cloud streaming) on October 22, later this week.

This is, of course, exactly the kind of game that could benefit greatly from being on Game Pass, allowing players who ordinarily wouldn't purchase it the chance to give it a go for no cost, and then giving it a permanent purchase if they find it's to their liking. It remains to be seen how long it will stick around on the service.

Rainbow Six Siege is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Ubisoft have confirmed that it will release for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year with 4K/120 FPS support.

FIFA 21 Tops UK Charts Again

fifa 21

Last week's charts for boxed video game sales in the UK were eventful, but not because of any specific new releases. As reported by GamesIndustry, last week's Amazon Prime Day dales saw significant boosts in physical sales of various games in the UK retail, leading to sudden spikes for various older releases.

FIFA 21 topped the charts, which was where it debuted last week. Its sales went down from last week's figures (though this is a game that seems to be performing better digitally). Apparently, the game is now also just a week's sales away from outselling Animal Crossing: New Horizons to become the UK's biggest game at retail in 2020 so far.

The charts are dominated otherwise by Switch games, with four exclusives in the top 10 (and 18 in the top 40). Animal Crossing: New Horizons saw a 44% increase in week-on-week sales, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe saw 70% increase, Minecraft for the Switch saw a 95% increase, while Ring Fit Adventure saw a 79% increase.

Meanwhile, Star Wars: Squadrons and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time have dropped from second and third places (respectively) to eighth and ninth places also respectively).

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending October 17 below:

  1. FIFA 21
  2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
  4. Minecraft (Switch)
  5. Ring Fit Adventure
  6. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
  7. Just Dance 2020
  8. Star Wars: Squadrons
  9. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
  10. Grand Theft Auto 5

"I Don't Think Everyone Will Charge $70" for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Games – Michael Pachter

ps5 xbox series x

Several major publishers have taken the big step of increasing the prices of some of their upcoming games on next-gen consoles. Take-Two were the first to take the plunge with NBA 2K21, then Activision followed with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, with Sony confirming not long afterward that their next-gen prices for first party published games could go up to $70, depending on the release (like Demon's Souls and Destruction AllStars in the launch lineup itself).

Many are of the belief that this will be the console generation that eventually sees the industry-wide standard for game prices to increase to $70, years after the standard prices last rose. According to industry analyst Michael Pachter, however, that isn't a sure deal.

Speaking with GamingBolt in a recent interview, Pachter suggested that individual instances of price increases by publishers don't necessary have to point to the onset of an industry trend, and that price increases will instead be dependent on console MSRP for games and platform holders- citing the example of Microsoft, who, thanks to Smart Delivery, likely won't be moving to the $70 model anytime soon (lest they increase Xbox One game prices as well).

"It really comes down to what the console MSRP is for games," Pachter said. "Microsoft has been pretty clear with Smart Delivery, which they have said is free for current to next gen upgrades. So if Smart Delivery is free, unless Microsoft raises the price of current gen games from $60 to $70, they can't price their games at $70. And next gen games from them will be $60.

"I think 2K pricing their game at $70 is going to upset customers. And I get that it's worth it, I get that inflation is a thing, and that game prices haven't increased in years. But the fact is, if the platform holders don't suggest a $70 price point, then third party publishers will look greedy by asking for $10 more."

"I don't know if it's going to happen," he added. "I think what we're seeing is publishers trying to figure out what they will do with regards to pricing, and I have to imagine Sony didn't help anybody announcing Miles Morales at $50 and Demon's Souls at $70."

Later, he added, "I don't think everyone will charge $70."

Of course, several major publishers haven't yet committed to the $70 pricing model for next-gen games. Ubisoft have said that their games releasing for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2020 will all be priced at $60 (though they have remained tightlipped on what happens after that. Capcom, meanwhile, have said that they remain undecided on the matter– but a recent Asian listing suggested a $70 price for Resident Evil Village on PS5.

Our full interview with Michael Pachter will be going live soon, so stay tuned for that.