Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta players are turning off cross-play due to cheating
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War might only be in its beta stage, but players are already finding out that it's never too early to start breaking the rules, as aimbotters, wall-hackers, and other villains are already ruining the experience for many in the CoD community.
Over the course of the beta weekend, players encountered Killcam replays that showed others utilizing mods to rack up insane killstreaks - a practice that has dogged shooters on PC since the genre's inception. This frustration led to many Call of Duty console players choosing to switch off cross-play capabilities, essentially banning PC players from their matches, but also shrinking the player base.
Now, this being Call of Duty - the biggest FPS franchise on the planet - turning off cross-play is hardly going to result in Black Ops Cold War becoming a "dead game", but it's a shame that players do end up having to wall off other communities because of the actions of a few cheaters. Last year, Activision adopted a "zero tolerance" stance against hackers in both Modern Warfare and Warzone - banning nearly quarter of a million players in the last 12 months alone - but you're never going to catch everybody, and some of these banned accounts will simply find ways to circumvent the ban and continue playing.
Ultimately, it's positive to see titles like Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Rainbow Six Siege push back against shadier or more toxic players, but they'll be unlikely to ever truly eradicate the relentless mentality of those who want to cheat. This is just a beta, and people are already breaking the rules to rack up kills and XP in the new sequel. For some players, for whatever reason, cheating is apparently an integral part of playing - and winning - at video games.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta already has cheaters [PC Gamer]
Here's how to unlock Luigi in Super Mario Bros. 35
Although Super Mario Bros. 35 has some issues in regards to its endgame, it's a fun little treat to boot up every now and then and a nice way to dive back into a classic.
One of the things I liked about it was its penchant for tiny little Easter eggs, which includes this newly discovered trick: you can play as Luigi. Sure, it's just a color swap for the most part, but Twitter user CombotronRobot managed to uncover the secret and I'm sure it'll get a lot of people talking about the battle royale release again.
There's basically just one main requirement: you need to be at star rank (level) 100 or above. From there, hold L as you are starting a match (it's recommended that you hold it until it begins) and bam, you can celebrate the Year of Luigi in 2020.
It's time to grind!
Don't miss the beautiful (and very weird) opening movie to Balan Wonderworld
Square Enix has released the stunning opening movie to Balan Wonderworld, the upcoming platform adventure from studio Arzest, and headed up by legendary industry veteran Yuji Naka.
The beautifully directed video sees our heroes, Leo and Emma, and they are whisked into the colorful and whimsical Wonderworld of Balan, a charismatic showman with just a touch of uncomfortable weirdness. Bombarded by cute, fuzzy creatures, Leo and Emma journey through a phantasmagoria of the strange sights and sounds that make up Balan's Wonderworld.
The mysterious adventure itself will see players guide the duo through a vista of 12 ever-changing worlds, exploring stages while utilizing a huge host of special abilities earned from over 80 in-game costumes. At the heart of Wonderworld is self-discovery, and as they progress through the game, Leo and Emma will face their own joyous memories and deep-seated worries. It all sounds very intriguing, and with Naka at the helm, will most assuredly be one to watch out for.
Balan Wonderworld launches March 26 on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.
Pokemon Home will be down for a bit to adjust for the new Crown Tundra DLC
Pokemon Home is about to get a lot busier, so the powers that be are making some adjustments later this week.
That means there's going to be some downtime; which is taking place on Thursday October 22 at 23:00 UTC until October 23 at 4:00 UTC (the latter is the planned end time, which could be extended). In case you missed it, Nintendo recently revealed the release date for Pokemon Sword and Shield's Crown Tundra DLC, which is due out on October 22 as the last known DLC and second part of the season pass.
So why is it getting busier? Well, it was confirmed that legendary Pokemon will have a 100% capture rate so long as you make it through the gauntlet to acquire them and finish them off. Hence, it'll behoove a lot of players to jump into Home and move some stuff around: especially if they already have the supported mythological beasts in question.
You can find the full maintenance notice below, taken directly from our app. While the first Isle of Armor DLC was fun for what it was, I have higher hopes for the seemingly larger and more detailed Crown Tundra add-on.
Cagliostro brings her mischievous magic to Granblue Fantasy: Versus today
Granblue Fantasy: Versus has been updated to Version 2.11, bringing a selection of bug fixes and mode tweaks to CyGames' attractive fighter, along with all new DLC character Cagliostro.
Known as "The Prettiest Alchemist", Cagliostro is a young mistress of the arcane arts, arts that she utilizes in the pursuit of a state of absolute cuteness. Despite her adorable demeanor, Cagliostro has quite a temper bubbling under her kawaii surface and is a force to be reckoned with in the thick of the fight.
Not only is Cagliostro capable of producing huge swords and spears from the environment with ease, but her tricky teleportation skills also keep her well out of harm's way. Sneaky gal. Cagliosto is available to purchase for around $7, which includes the requisite lobby avatar and new RPG Mode chapter.
Alongside Cagliostro, the new update fixes several minor text and technical issues across the board, as well as tweaking an ongoing issue involving Throw Breaking. You can check out the full patch notes over on the official Granblue Fantasy: Versus blog.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus is available now on PS4 and PC.
Grime showed off more of its surreal world and I'm so down to explore it
I haven't forgotten about Grime, and I hope you haven't either. Clover Bite's action-adventure RPG about a "humanoid black hole" who can absorb bizarre creatures continues to show great promise.
In this narrated footage from director Yarden Weissbrot, we're shown just how much utility the absorption ability has, from catching and sending back projectiles to dislodging tightly-held shields. As you absorb foes, you'll fill out a bestiary and start to unlock (and rank up) traits with bonuses/abilities like dealing more damage with backstabbing attacks or pulling on "nearby vulnerable surfaces."
I'm also intrigued by the "fully interconnected" map – it already looks like a world I want to pore over.
I know some of you are feeling this game, and I imagine plenty more of you will be on-board today if you happened to miss the Gamescom trailer in August. Grime is still scheduled to release on Steam in 2021.
This PlayStation montage recaps the best of the best PS4 games with one-second clips
I'm excited as anyone to get my hands on a PlayStation 5 and marathon Demon's Souls with a sleepless binge, but with that said, I'm still having a wonderful time with my PS4, and I'll continue to enjoy it right up until the new console shows up at my door. (Fingers crossed for no last-minute delivery delays.)
I'm not sure I'd have an answer if someone asked me to name my favorite console – I'm terrible at coming up with top tens for anything – but I know that the PlayStation 4 would be up there pretty high.
I've consistently liked this system since 2013, even back when it was little more than a Resogun machine for me. It brought about Bloodborne, one of my unshakable all-time besties, to say nothing of many other modern classics. I also loved PlayStation VR more than most people – it rekindled something inside me. Resident Evil 7 VR will go down as one of the best gaming experiences of my life.
Before I get any sappier, here's a fun video to watch on the precipice of the PS5 launch. PlayStation Access edited a three-minute montage with "one second from every game that defined PS4." It's not just the usual obvious picks, either – you're going to wonder what some of these games even are.
Many of the games in this video aren't PlayStation exclusives, and some of them have undeniable flaws, but that's what makes this list so interesting. On the whole, it really captures the last seven years.
It's been a damn good run, one that's worth reflecting on and celebrating.
@PlayStationUK [Twitter]
Review: The Jackbox Party Pack 7
Ah, here we are with another installment of The Jackbox Party Pack, the insanely popular virtual party game enterprise that takes every nerd's house by storm each year - although perhaps it's now more mainstream, as my parents are starting to take part and there are now explicitly family-friendly settings and options!
So, without further ado, I present this year's games.
World of Warcraft's newest event lets you earn the Headless Horseman Hearthstone again
World of Warcraft's Shadowlands expansion might be delayed, but we have the pre-patch and this newest seasonal event to mess around with in the meantime.
Hallow's End has been a staple of WoW for a while now, with the Headless Horseman's Hearthstone arriving in 2018 when Battle for Azeroth came into the picture. Among several other rewards this one is recently cited as the cornerstone of the event; allowing players to add to their spooky outfit with some visual effects when hearthing. Now you can earn it again as of this week.
From now until November 1, the Hallow's End event will be running through Azeroth. Basically all you need to do is log in, queue up for the Headless Horseman challenge (which can drop up to i395 gear) or visit Razor Hill or Goldshire to participate in world events. In all there's 14 quests to participate in, as well as trick or treating stations to earn candy from; throughout Kalimdor to Outland, Northrend, the Cataclysm regions and Pandaria.
Given that Halloween events typically tend to be the most flavorful in MMOs, I'll be poking my head in among all of the other stuff I'm doing with the pre-patch right now.
The Horseman Rides: Hallow's End is Nigh! [Battle.net]
Can Marvel's Avengers pull a No Man's Sky and totally redeem itself?
It's no secret that Marvel's Avengers isn't in the best of places right now. Yes, it sold big in September, enough to top Super Mario 3D All-Stars as the month's top title on the NPD charts, but it's struggling, and with new consoles and several massive titles on the horizon, things are not going to get easier for Crystal Dynamics. But just because it's down now doesn't mean it's out. As we've seen with No Man's Sky, developers can pull their games back from the brink.
That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Charlotte, Occams, and Dan chat about Marvel's Avengers, Ring Fit Adventure, Dragon Quest Tact, and Spooky Encounters. All that, plus you shouldn't rap about real crimes you're committing, on Podtoid Episode 463.
Dragon Quest Tact may not be that tactical, but it is a charming diversion
Dragon Quest of the Stars hit North America at just the wrong time earlier in 2020. Arriving almost five years after its initial release in Japan, the free-to-play, gacha RPG reached our shores right around the same time COVID-19 did. A month later, my employer put out a memo instructing anybody who could work from home to do so, and soon enough I found myself dropping off this mobile adventure in favor of Dragon Quest XI S - Definitive Edition on my Switch.
In a few months though, depending on how this winter goes, I'll start going back to the office for a few days a week. Because I won't be stuck at home as much, I'm probably going to once again find time for those simple little gacha games that help pass the time. And while Dragon Quest of the Stars still has some life to it that I wouldn't be against picking it back up, it may have to step aside for Dragon Quest Tact.
You might see the Saw puppet and Leatherface running wild in Call of Duty
Call of Duty is hosting another horror crossover for Halloween, and this year, Billy the Puppet from Saw and Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre are here to play. Don't be alarmed if you see them running around in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare or Call of Duty: Warzone. Well, be a little alarmed.
Activision has a full recap of the Haunting of Verdansk – the event starts October 20 and will stick around until November 3 – but there's also a quick and to-the-point roadmap below in one easy image.
Aside from the premium Saw and TCM skin bundles (for Morte and Velikan, respectively), Warzone is getting a "nighttime" variant, there are Trick or Treat supply boxes to collect (with 16 total rewards to find), and Zombie Royale mode will skip the Gulag skirmishes in favor of turning fallen players into zombies who can move faster, jump higher, hit harder, and rely on thermal vision to stalk their prey.
"When a player is killed, they drop a syringe that shows up on the map. Collect two of these Syringes as a Zombie and you'll parachute back in with your loadout on your Squad for a second chance! The last squad standing with a surviving Operator wins... even if the rest of the squad has turned undead."
Even if the horror movie outfits are way too pricey, I always appreciate a good Halloween event.
Nintendo sales surge in this week's UK Charts
While Electronic Arts' football simulator FIFA 21 retains the number one spot of the UK Charts for a second week, a surge of physical sales saw a glut of Nintendo Switch titles shoot up the rankings.
GamesIndustry.biz cites Amazon's Prime Day event as the reason behind the spike in Nintendo game sales, which saw Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Minecraft, Ring Fit Adventure, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars among the titles having a particularly successful week. Even Ubisoft's Just Dance 2020 made a comeback, hot-stepping all the way from number 17 to number seven.
Elsewhere in the charts, there is little to report. Activision's Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time remains in the Top Ten at number nine, while Square Enix's Marvel's Avengers has seemingly long-peaked, leaving the upper echelon within a month of release. nWay's Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid saw its physical launch this week, but failed to make much of an impact, debuting at number 38. Releasing digitally back in 2019, fans would likely have picked up the licensed tag-fighter long before now.
Konami says PT won't work on PS5, but that seems wrong
Two weeks ago, Sony revealed the 10 PlayStation 4 games that won't work on PS5. It's a small list, and there's nothing of real consequence being left behind. One game wasn't mentioned meaning it's de facto backward compatible, but people wanted confirmation anyway.
That game is PT. We asked Sony whether PT could be played on PS5, but we never heard back. Everyone was just left to assume that it'd work. Why wouldn't it work?
Hold up. GamesRadar+ got ahold of Konami who confirmed that PT wouldn't be backward compatible. Konami says "[PT] will not be available on the PS Store, so users won't be able to re-download the content through the backwards compatibility feature to the PS5."
That seems wrong though, doesn't it? Konami's statement only appears to address what we already know (and have experienced) with PT. It was delisted in April 2015 after the announcement that Silent Hills was canceled. Nobody has been able to download PT for more than five years.
But, Konami's seemingly ignoring the option to transfer it from hard drives for people who already have it downloaded. Sony has said the transfer process works for both wired and wireless connections. Simply moving the game from PS4 to PS5 should work. Or, at least we don't have any evidence as to why it shouldn't work. Time will tell, but it kind of appears as though Konami missed the intention behind this question.
PT won't be backwards compatible with the PS5 [GamesRadar+]
XIII remake Nintendo Switch port delayed to 2021
Microids has announced that the remake of classic first-person shooter XIII will not meet its originally announced release date on Switch. While the PS4, PC, and Xbox One editions are all still set to launch on November 10, the Switch release has been pushed back to 2021.
Playmatic's XIII is a remake of the 2003 Xbox and PS2 title, based on the 1980s Belgian comic book of the same name. It follows the hazardous and violent journey of a nameless and amnesiac man wanted for the killing of the U.S. President. Teaming with a mysterious female mercenary named Jones, "XIII" (from the identifying tattoo on his shoulder) must uncover the truth behind the assassination, his role within it, and a shadowy organization known as "Mongoose."
Microids also released a new trailer, showing off the arsenal of lead-flingers that XIII and Jones will utilize in their ballistic quest to stay alive long enough to bring down Mongoose and discover the facts behind our anti-hero's origins. The remake will feature all of the content from the original title, as well as its iconic cel-shaded look, which has been redesigned to make the most of modern-day visuals.
Essential retailer GameStop closing down for Thanksgiving
Employees of big box retailers in the United States are generally subjected to the same annual Thanksgiving routine: Do all the family stuff early in the day because they're off to work in the evenings. The Black Friday creep gets earlier and earlier every year, as each store tries to set the pace for how soon people can shop their sales.
In a bit of refreshing news, GameStop employees will have the full Thanksgiving holiday free this year. GameStop has revealed its Black Friday-centric plans, and it includes all stores in the United States being closed on Thanksgiving.
There are likely a couple strategic reasons for the closure. GameStop has announced that it'll host "more pre-Black Friday sale events than ever before," although it hasn't revealed any of the deals yet. Also, with the pandemic very much still in progress, GameStop is probably (rightly) predicting that in-store traffic will be lower than during normal years. All the hustle and bustle of jam-packed consumerism isn't as cute when there's a contagious virus on the loose.
It's the right outcome, especially from a company who has a very recent history of doing the wrong thing. In March, GameStop circulated an internal memo to employees directing them to refuse compliance with local orders to shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reasoning was that GameStop and all its video game hardware and software should be classified as "essential retail."
The logic seems to be that GameStop is hoping to spread sales out over a longer timeline rather than just chasing a spike on Black Friday. We'll see if it can resist putting all of its best deals on actual Black Friday. Unlikely but maybe. It's not like there will be any new consoles available to lure customers in anyway.
GameStop Releases its 'Ready. Set. Gift.' 2020 Holiday Gift Guide [GameStop]
Fire Emblem Heroes serves up another quartet of Fire Emblem: Three Houses stars
Nintendo has been going in pretty hard on its mobile battler Fire Emblem Heroes lately, with a slew of characters and events added to the free-to-play title on an almost weekly basis. This week is no different, with the arrival of four new characters from Switch release Fire Emblem: Three Houses, one of which is very much my jam.*
Joining the expansive Fire Emblem Heroes roster are Three Houses powerful Thunder Knight, Catherine, magical cutie-patootie Flayn, chief aide of the Church of Seiros, Seteth, and finally, the Officer Academy's master archer, Shamir. I'm a big fan of Shamir, and I'm of no doubt that FeH is about to gobble up all of my orbs as I attempt to add her sharpshooting ways to my army.
The four Three Houses heroes will be accompanied by a brand new story chapter, titled "In Her Service." The new update should be live in-game by the time you read this, so check out the cool new trailer below, then get out there and start... erm... hoping you randomly win your chosen character, I guess.
Cats make Mario Kart Live even more fun
In case you missed it, we covered Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit this past weekend. What you couldn't miss, however, is my cat Cinnamon that was front and center as part of that coverage.
That's because the game's impact on cats is immediately apparent, as evidenced by several other anecdotal tales this week. Cats are not just attracted to the device as it speeds around the house, but they also serve as great moving hazards for folks who aren't keen to create their own intricate setups.
Shinji Mikami has now been a part of the video game industry for 30 years. Over those three decades, Mikami has been involved with the creation of a lot of excellent projects, such as God Hand, Vanquish, The Evil Within, and Dino Crisis, but his strongest legacy will forever remain one of the most enduring and genre-defining franchises in gaming history: Resident Evil.
Continuing its series of video interviews with some of gaming's greatest auteurs, Archipel Caravan sat down for an interview with the 55-year-old as he reflects on his 30 years within the industry. In this, the first of a special two-part episode, Mikami discusses his beginnings in the business, his love of the horror genre, his work with Capcom, and how this unholy trinity of interests birthed one of the most successful and indelible brands that players would ever see.
This is the third of Archipel Caravan's new series, following a sit-down with Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka and a live performance by Panzer Dragoon composer Saori Kobayashi. Future episodes are expected to feature conversations with Yakuza director Toshihiro Nagoshi, Square Enix's Naoki Yoshida, and legendary anime and video game illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. We will be sure to inform you as each of these episodes are released.
If you defeat a legendary Pokemon in the Crown Tundra DLC, you're guaranteed to capture it
Things are starting to come together for the Pokemon Sword and Shield Crown Tundra DLC: and it's good timing! After all, the expansion is out in three days.
While we knew about the additional zone, one of the biggest features of the DLC is the ability to capture old legendaries, going back to the original generation. That means Mewtwo, Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos; among many others. Thankfully, grabbing them is going to be a little less frustrating than some folks assumed.
The most recent episode of the Japanese TV show Pokenchi has revealed the process for catching legendaries, and things are looking up so far. According to the program, you need to battle three Dynamaxed Pokemon first in a sort of gauntlet situation on a Dynamax Adventure. Once those are out of the picture you can move on to the legendary.
The program claims that once you get to the end of the line and have the ability to capture the legendary, it's "guaranteed." That's great news, but we'll have to see how time consuming this process is for ourselves.
Sword and Shield [Pokenchi via Serebii.netc]
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta extended
Those of you who have been enjoying the high-speed, arcadey action of the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta will be stoked to hear that Activision has decided to extend the open trial session for an extra 24 hours.
The extension has been offered as a "reward" for the CoD community solving a series of coded emails sent out by the publisher over the weekend. Originally scheduled to end this morning, the servers will now remain open until tomorrow, October 20, at 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET / 18:00 BST.
The 24-hour extension gives wannabe mercs even more time to bring a living hell to the streets of 1980s Miami. The beta is available to all players on PS4, PC, and Xbox One and includes classic modes such as Kill Confirmed and Team Deathmatch, alongside new matches Combined Arms and VIP Escort. You can check out some of my own thoughts on the beta right here.
Sony is looking for feedback for the new PS4 party changes
Last week the PS4 community was in a state of confusion after firmware update 8.00 changed the way parties worked; while causing a few bugs in the process.
Following the update Sony tweeted out that it was investigating issues with the PlayStation Network, but now folks are taking umbrage with the changes as a whole. In short, parties and messages now have a more merged identity, instead of utilizing groups across both apps.
It sounds nice on paper, but folks are reporting issues with starting parties and getting people into their group easily; something that was dead simple before 8.00. A lot of this is table-setting for the PS5, which makes a whole lot of sense. But users are still confused as to why features were taken away from the party system, which worked fine before the update.
In response, Sony is "looking into feedback" as of October 17 "on the recent changes to parties on PS4." They followed up by noting "thanks for speaking up - we'll keep you posted." It seems like change could come if enough people aren't a fan of the new system. At the very least: as far as parties are concerned.
PlayStation [Twitter]
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is really sneaking up on me.
Sure we have the two new next-gen console launches coming in a few weeks, but after that on November 20 we get a new Zelda game. While it might not be a traditional mainline Zelda, it sure looks increasingly legit as we obtain more and more info on Age of Calamity.
We already know that the Yiga Clan will be playing a bigger role in the game, but now thanks to a new clip today Nintendo has made it clear that the Korok Hetsu will be front and center as well: on top of the role that Koroks will be playing in Calamity, serving as the main collectible to chase. Whoever pitched the idea of a prequel, pre-100-year-amnesia-Link, is a genius. It makes so much sense and fits within the framework of this world.
That last shot though! Seeing Link glide across the sky in classic Breath of the Wild fashion while the Champions follow suit: glorious. My wishlist mostly involves filling in more subtle backstories in a natural way, like this one, which fans have speculated on for several years.
The wait for Breath of the Wild 2 is going to be so much worse after playing this.
Corpse Party remake announced for Nintendo Switch
Notoriously gory anime franchise Corpse Party is headed to the Nintendo Switch in the form of a new remake, Corpse Party Blood Covered... Repeated Fear, which will bring its head-caving, eye-gouging misery to the Nintendo platform later in the near future.
As a quick refresher for those less inclined, Corpse Party is a multimedia franchise that began way back in 1996, before finding its feet in handheld gaming a decade later. The Corpse Party titles tell ghoulish tales of hapless schoolgirls who venture into haunted scenarios, before fast becoming utterly destroyed in extraordinarily grim fashion. Yucky stuff.
Corpse Party Blood Covered:... Repeated Fear will be a remastered edition of 2015 Nintendo 3DS release, which itself is a remake of the original Corpse Party. The new Switch edition will feature all of the content of the nightmarish classic, built within an optimized engine and featuring newly recorded voice acting for previously silent sequences. Due for release this winter in Japan, no western localization has been announced as of yet.
Corpse Party remake coming to Switch [Japanese Nintendo]
If you haven't been paying attention, Microsoft has been cozying up to Nintendo for several years.
They were the first two console publishers that teamed up for Minecraft's "Better Together" update for cross-play; a concept Sony was staying out of at the time. They've also partnered up with Nintendo for Banjo Kazooie and Minecraft representation in Super Smash Bros. Things seem to be going well, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, but that doesn't mean more Microsoft games are coming to Switch as a result.
If you recall, Spencer stated roughly a year ago that Microsoft was going to cool it with releasing games on Switch. That position hasn't really changed in 2020, despite a few exceptions here and there. Speaking to Kotaku, Spencer does reiterate the good working relationship between him and Nintendo: "We have a very good relationship...And I think we see our work very synergistically, in terms of trying to grow the market. And it just makes it easy. Every conversation we have with them has really been easy."
Spencer expresses admiration for Shuntaro Furukawa, current Nintendo president, as well as Doug Bowser; Reggie's Nintendo of America successor. Yet, Spencer notes that releasing individual Xbox games on Switch "doesn't feel sustainable," and feels like he would need a "full Xbox ecosystem somewhere" to support it. Features like Game Pass and Xbox Live integration were mentioned.
It makes a lot of sense. Microsoft might be buddying up with their competition (and in the case of the Switch, potentially their best-selling competition once the dust has settled) every once in a while, but they also need to demonstrate their own value. First-party games are a big part of that: which the Xbox Series X will need to really kick into overdrive in 2021. After all, Microsoft didn't make all of these expensive acquisitions to eschew exclusivity altogether.
Xbox Boss Phil Spencer On Series X Launch, Halo Infinite & Bethesda [Kotaku]
Shocker: Unskippable adverts show up in NBA 2K21 a month after release
The NBA 2K community has hit back at publisher 2K Games after unskippable adverts materialised within the latest entry in the basketball sim, NBA 2K21. The adverts were not in the sports title at launch, and have popped up one month after release, to the chagrin of many paying customers.
As reported by Stevivor, fans spotted video adverts for Oculus Quest 2 hardware that auto-play during certain NBA 2K21 loading sequences, as a part of "2K TV" cinematic presentations. The adverts always complete before the segment finishes loading, regardless of platform or PC capabilities. You can see the offending segments in action in Stevivor's video below.
Rainbow Six Siege breaches Xbox Game Pass October 22
Microsoft has announced that one of the finest shooters on the market, Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege, will be joining the Xbox Game Pass service for console and Android on October 22.
Originally releasing to a so-so reception back in 2015, the latest entry in the long-running Rainbow Six series of counter-terrorism titles sees teams of players battle it out online in incredibly intense, twitchy, tactical gameplay. A far cry from the typical genre shooter of the world, Rainbow Six Siege is a shooter where every step, every lean, every peek down the scope is fraught with danger, and teamwork, smart movement, and razor-sharp reflexes are the core elements of victory or defeat.
After a slow start, Rainbow Six Siege went on to improve its gameplay in almost every way, and to date over 60 million players have checked out the action on PS4, PC, and Xbox One, while the development team has drip-fed monthly content in the forms of weapons, maps, gadgets, technical, and mechanical overhauls. Rainbow Six Siege will continue its course onto next-gen platforms, allowing players to carry over their accounts onto PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Rainbow Six Siege joins Xbox Game Pass on October 22.
Daring darling Yuel announced for Granblue Fantasy: Versus
Publisher Arc System Works, in conjunction with developer CyGames, has revealed the third character headed to Granblue Fantasy: Versus as part of the gorgeous fighter's second character pass. And this time around its none of than the daring adventurer, Yuel.
Yuel was announced in a brief teaser at the end of a new gameplay trailer, which gave us our first look at cheerful mage Cagliostro in action. Yuel is an extremely popular character among the Granblue Fantasy community, undoubtedly thanks to her teasing, femme-fatale nature. A brave and steadfast warrior on an epic journey to find a thousand-year-old treasure, Yuel is very easily distracted by the worlds, characters, and events she experiences while en route to her goal. She also throws up a pretty mean nWo Wolfpac signal.
As for Cagliostro, the young alchemist will launch in Granblue Fantasy: Versus tomorrow, October 20, bringing her ancient arcane powers to the fight. A "mistress of blades," as it were, Cagliostro uses her magic skills to conjure up razor-sharp swords, spears, and whirring buzz saws on the battlefield, while staying out of her foe's grasp with her frustrating teleport abilities. Don't let her cute, wholesome demeanor fool you, this angry gal will cut you down in seconds flat.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus is available now on PC and PS4.
(Update) Here's how to get your free Ash's Pikachu in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Today during this morning's special Pokémon stream, The Pokémon Company unveiled a new promo for Sword and Shield. Naturally, it involves Pikachu.
From here on out, special Pikachu will be distributed for Sword and Shield, tailored around the idea of it being "Ash's Pikachu" with eight different hats. The first one is available today, with more coming later "through various means." If history is anything to go by, codes doled out during tournament streams and the like are a safe bet.
To get the initial rat, enter "P1KACHUGET" into your copy of the game.
To unlock the second version, use: "1CH00SEY0U."
A third version has been released: "P1KAADVANCE."
As well as a fourth version: "V0LTTACKLEP1KA."
And the fourth version: "P1KABESTW1SH."
And the fifth: "KAL0SP1KA."
There's even going to be a full website for it! It's not live at the time of publication, but The Pokémon Company says more info will be available here. You can also take a look at the array of hats below.
Review: Nioh 2: Darkness in the Capital
With Team Ninja dropping Nioh 2 DLC every few months, it's tough to catch up and stay caught up.
Darkness in the Capital uses the same structure as The Tengu's Disciple, meaning there's a new weapon to learn (Fists and Clawed Fists), a few main story missions (set in the Heian period), a handful of side skirmishes, and more "stuff" across the board – higher-level gear, several new guardian spirits, new yokai including a big-ghost-headed ox cart, and the next New Game+ difficulty tier, Dream of the Wise.
Oh, and there's a bonus fight against a certain Hayabusa. He's a slippery son of a gun.
Revisiting the infinite joy of Excitebots: Trick Racing
When we look back at the launch of the Nintendo Wii, there are a few titles that immediately come to mind. They're the ones that would go on to define the console throughout its lifespan. There's Wii Sports, obviously, the pack-in that your grandmother probably still plays today. Then there is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Nintendo's first cross-gen hit that was saved from the Wii's poorly performing predecessor to find massive success in the new generation. Those two titles were enough to sell the console to millions of people and radically expand the market for console gaming. As much as I enjoy both them, when I look back at the Wii's start and the titles it launched with, honestly, it's Excite Truck that fills me with the warmest memories.
The Excite series has never been a priority for Nintendo. The NES original didn't see a sequel for more than 15 years when Excitebike 64 hit the Nintendo 64 near the twilight of its life. In fact, I'd say more people know the game from its inclusion in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe than as its own franchise. I don't think Excite Trucks did enough to move the needle in the franchise's favor — and really, what do you expect launching alongside Wii Sports — but it did prove popular enough to give us a sequel that remains one of my most treasured racing games of all time: Excitebots: Trick Racing.
I really enjoy the Star Wars universe. Not to the point where I know anything about the extended universe, but I like all the movies in their own way. Yes, even the prequels and The Last Jedi. So I'm not the expert that is going to either gush or nitpick when Squadrons throws some new lore my way, but I will admit that I got rather excited when Admiral Ackbar was giving me directions. "I know that guy!" I yelled to no one in particular.
What I also really enjoy is tight, small experiences that do one thing and do it well. This basically summarizes most of the indie scene, but Squadrons also fits the bill. At $40, and with this much polish, it's easy to find an enjoyable experience here.
After several months in Early Access, Echtra Games is pushing Torchlight III out the door.
As a quick refresher, in my Steam Early Access review, I called Torchlight III more of a "spinoff than a numbered sequel." I said it didn't "do enough to encourage experimentation or creativity." It's a lighter, fluffier action-RPG, one that has a place but probably won't live up to long-time fans' expectations.
Did they turn it around for the 1.0 launch? Not exactly. My overall impression has barely budged.
An incoming patch for The Outer Worlds on Switch will bring some much appreciated visual upgrades
The Outer Worlds on Switch prompted a lot of conversation about if some sacrifices are worth making when porting a game to weaker hardware. For those who played it on PC, PS4, or Xbox One, it was a noticeable downgrade for sure. For me, having never played it on stronger systems, I found it to be decent enough.
It looked rough and disappointingly barren, but that might change later this month when the long-awaited patch will release on Switch. Full patch notes are being withheld for now, but the game's Twitter page decided to give us a sneak peek at how the visuals will improve with the download.
Cblogs of 10/10 to 10/16/2020: Mafia, Front Mission, and Jonathan Holmes' podcast returns
Cblogs Recap: Week 42
-Jonathan Holmes returns with Talking to Women about Video Games.
-Kerrik52 reviews Siren: Blood Curse on the PS3 as part of his Traveler in Playtime reviews series.
-Lord Spencer reviews Front Mission on the DS as part of his DS REVIEWS blogging series.
-Exber reviews God Hand as part of his Retro Reviews blogging series.
-Joel Peterson writes about his reluctant transition to the digital video game age.
-Sapato64 discusses how not to get bored and stay invested while playing MMOs.
-Shoggoth2588 continues his review of the last decade with this blog focusing on 2019.
-Black Red Gaming reviews Mafia: Definitive Edition on the PC.
-Dinoracha reviews La Mulana on the PC.
-Xeo shares his impressions from the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta.
-Agent9 continues with his daily journal for this month.
-TheBlondeBass writes some short narrative prose under the guise of an Owlboy review.
-ChronoLynxx is back with another TGIF open forum blog.
Konami's 1981 shmup Super Cobra returns on Nintendo Switch
We're looking to the skies to save us thanks to this week's Arcade Archives release. Konami's chopper classic, Super Cobra, is now available to download on Nintendo Switch, courtesy of the retro scallywags over at Hamster.
Originally released in arcades way back in 1981, (before later being ported to the Atari 2600 and several other formative consoles), Super Cobra puts players in the pilot seat of a fully-armed, hi-tech attack helicopter, not unlike the one that would appear a year or two later in Roy Scheider movie Blue Thunder.
A precursor to Konami's intergalactic classic Scramble, Super Cobra is a basic horizontal shmup, featuring 10 stages of simplistic sky-high action as our futuristic chopper rains death and destruction on the titular villains... You thought "Super Cobra" was the helicopter itself? Apparently not.
You can check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Old Classic Retro Gaming. Super Cobra is available to download now on Nintendo Switch, priced around $8.
Mario Kart Live is impressive, but the fun you get out of it really depends on the effort you put in
Nintendo is the king when it comes to experimentation.
I would have really liked to have seen how wacky the Wii Vitality Sensor would have gotten, but in its stead, we've seen Labo and countless other flights of fancy. Mario Kart Live is the latest in a long line of toys from Nintendo, and like many others, you get out what you put into it.
Itsuka Kendo is bringing her battle fists to My Hero One's Justice 2
Another anime superstar is headed to the ranks of Bandai Namco's 3D fighter My Hero One's Justice 2. As revealed in this week's edition of Weekly Jump. The happy-go-lucky Itsuka Kendo will arrive in-game as paid DLC "soon."
Now that Mileena is in, which Mortal Kombat character will fans badger Ed Boon about next?
Fighting game rosters are always fascinating to me. For an industry where fans are always demanding "new, new, new," it's the one genre where old is good. Old characters, old stages, people just want to see everything they're already familiar with plus a couple of new additions to separate the new entry from the old one.
Not every character can be in every entry, and as we've seen in the past with multiple fighting games, those missing favorites can cause an uproar amongst the fanbase. And with social media, that uproar is louder and more annoying than ever. But I get it. Milenna is a great kharacter with a great backstory and mouth so big it makes Steven Tyler's lips look like Betty Boop's.
That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Dan, Charlotte, and Chris come together to talk John Rambo, FIFA 21, Watch Dogs 2, the Monster Hunter movie, Resident Evil reboot, beaches full of drugs, and home baking. All that, plus Michelle Rodriguez's pleather pants, on Podtoid Episode 462.
Whenever someone needs to be digitally blown up, stabbed, or shot, the overlords at Destructoid always seem to deem me the person for the job. I'm not sure why, given that I'm very clearly the Bernadetta of the editorial team. Regardless, it's that time of year again, and with the impending release of a brand-new Call of Duty title, it falls on me to load up on guns, throw on my sexiest legwarmers, and return to the political upheaval of the 1980s.
The second Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta weekend begins today, offering first-person shooter fans the chance to check out Activision's latest entry in its money-printing franchise. All PS4 players - alongside PC and Xbox One pre-order customers - can dive into the action today, the beta will then open its doors to all players on all three platforms from Saturday, October 17.
But your boy Moyse has already cut his own path of destruction through said beta, capping out at Level 25 one murderthon at a time. In the hours I've spent with Black Ops Cold War so far, I've gotten to grips with a selection of weapons, modes, and maps, I've been the king of the scoreboards, and been found face-down in a pool of my own tomatoes. It's been the best of times, it's been the worst of times. But what I'll mostly remember is the laughter.
Here's a selection of my humble thoughts regarding Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War:
Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?
It has been a week, both in my own localised life bubble and in the greater picture of this here planet. I miss the days when I could open these articles with a simple "Hey yo" and a brief reminder to love yourselves and each other, but the reality is that troubled times continue. While I'm not interested in pretending we aren't all having a tough run right now, it's still important to remember that we all have our saving graces, be they friends, family, pets, movies, exercise or, of course, video games. Keep it up, folks, you've got this.
This week has seen me engaged in military warfare on two very different fronts. Firstly, I spent some hours runnin' and gunnin' through 1980s Miami in Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta. Then, far and away from that "real-world" action, I've been taking on the might of COBRA in Game Mill's G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout. The only real conclusion I've drawn is that global warfare is far less traumatic when fought by glasses-wearing dominatrixes (domanatrices?) and evil dudes with solid silver heads. Still, at least I know that now, and knowing is half the battle.
That's more than enough about me. I'm crawling back under the duvet to stick my head in the proverbial sand. Why don't you jump into the comments below and tell us what you've been enjoying this week? It doesn't even have to be gaming related. Perhaps you've read a cool book, or enjoyed a movie, so tell us about that instead. What's important is that you interact. We have a wonderful community here and you're very welcome to be part of it.
Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.
Ghost of Tsushima fans should absolutely make time for Legends
I hope you still have Ghost of Tsushima installed on your PS4. If not, queue that download.
Earlier today, Sucker Punch released Legends – a co-op mode with two-player story missions and four-player wave-based survival maps, both of which make fantastic use of Ghost's sneaky combat. Best of all, it's free. If you own the game, you can download update 1.1, load up Legends from the main menu, burn through a few "remember how to play?" tutorials, and start queuing with your warrior of choice.
As someone who stuck with ranged combat as much as possible in the campaign, I initially went with the Hunter over the Samurai, Ronin, or Assassin. You'll be able to unlock all four classes eventually – Legends really leans into its loot and XP-based progression – but make sure you pick whoever strikes your fancy. That said, while they all have their specialties, they don't feel dramatically different at first.
Everyone can use ranged and melee attacks, and much of Jin's toolkit carries over from the main game, albeit split across class-based ability trees and equippable Charms and Ghost Weapons that you'll unlock as rewards for clearing objectives. The actual loot (and its ensuing "Ki" power level) is mostly shared across the four classes – a design choice I adore – but each archetype levels up independently.
I had only planned to play a few – not all! – of Legends' nine co-op story missions before sharing my impressions. Unlike the side quests in the main Ghost of Tsushima campaign that began to grow stale as early as the second island region, none of these outstayed their welcome. One mission had me watching lightning to locate and dispatch ghost warriors. Another involved powering up my katana with color-coded energy. My favorite level let me and a co-op buddy sneak around several ships at sea.
These stories are fully narrated, they only take about 15 minutes to clear, they're broken into three well-paced parts (with quick torii gate transition scenes in between), and they're just big enough in scope to feel open-ended yet still playable with a random person online who isn't using a microphone.
While I'm not sure when I'll go back to play everything again on the higher difficulties (there's a bronze, silver, and gold-tier system with varying Ki power level requirements), I probably will make the effort. I had that much fun. There's something wonderful about taking out two guards simultaneously with a stranger or nailing a far-off headshot on a foe before they can stab your unaware pal in the back.
As a Nioh fanatic, I'm also here for the loot. But don't let that scare you off if you aren't.
Aside from ranking up to unlock new (and alternate) class abilities, you'll need to spend a moment swapping in new gear items – a katana, bow, Charm, and two Ghost Weapons – as you earn them. Everything has a rarity tier and Ki level associated with it, and the best stuff has special properties or perks (which you can re-roll using currencies earned from playing and dismantling unwanted junk). If that sounds like Too Much, it honestly isn't – the loot situation is pretty intuitive and manageable.
As for the survival missions, they aren't as inspired – remember when every game had to have a mode like this? – but they are enjoyable with even a decent-at-best group of players. Across 15 waves, some of which have beefy demon boys, you'll want to divide and conquer to defend multiple control points from being captured (or risk losing a chunk of your health bar for a limited time if you let them fall).
It's worth noting that you can go into Legends alone – heck, you can even go in alone with photo mode enabled. In my experience, the public matchmaking is super fast and the connections are reliable.
After spending an afternoon with the mode, I'm looking at my schedule and trying to find room to play more of it soon. Legends could've easily been a paid DLC pack – and it would've been worth the money, too. The fact that it's free and there aren't microtransactions is just wonderful. I'm now at the point where I'll be sad if a potential sequel doesn't have co-op support. It fits this combat style perfectly.
Even if you burned yourself out on Ghost of Tsushima, don't skip Legends. This mode feels fresh.
Stardew Valley is getting split-screen co-op after all
Can ConcernedApe do no wrong? After Stardew Valley got online multiplayer, I wrote off split-screen co-op as something that probably wouldn't happen – but where there's a will, there's a way. The developer has continued to improve the game over time, and he's making good on another heavily wishlisted item.
As part of update 1.5, Stardew Valley will let you play side-by-side with a buddy.
In Stardew Valley 1.5, there will be splitscreen co-op! pic.twitter.com/n7XhPWSuSi
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) October 16, 2020
Elaborating on the feature, Eric Barone said that it's coming to PC and consoles, although "the number of simultaneous players might vary" depending on where you play. For PC, it's up to four-player split-screen. For certain console platforms – presumably Nintendo Switch – the cap could be two players.
I'm over the moon either way. When update 1.5 drops, I'm gonna lose myself to Stardew all over again.
The Analogue Duo brings the TurboGrafx-16 back with a vengeance
Unlike most modern "mini" pack-in play consoles, the TurboGrafx-16 Mini has neither become impossible to find nor has it seen drastic price-drops. It's the very definition of a middling success, which is more than the original iteration of the system could say for itself. Due to a variety of reasons, the system never took off outside of Japan, though it's still home to a litany of classics: Bonk's Adventure, Snatcher, and Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, to name a few.
My guess is the modern "Mini" version of the console has fared better so far due to years of passionate word-of-mouth praise from TG-16 obsessives such as myself. If it were up to me, it would be Bonk, not Sonic, battling Mario at the Olympics, palling around with James Marsden at the movies, and eating chili dogs in the dreams of many a millennial. He's my favorite 16-bit baby boy.
That said, the TG-16 Mini wasn't truly the best vessel for him, and the TG-16 library, to make its return. It's missing so many classics: Bonk 3, Valis 2, Legendary Axe 1 & 2, Bloody Wolf, Keith Courage, and Far East of Eden. Sure, you could just hack the thing to add the ROMS of those titles to the console, but for those that want to play the original software sans tampering, Analogue has the solution.
Today the boutique console developer announced the Duo, a new emulation-free piece of hardware that runs everything from the TG-16/PC Engine family, including the SuperGrafx, TurboGrafx CD, PC Engine CD-ROM², and Super Arcade CD-ROM. The console doesn't release until next year, but you may want to sign up for the mailing list now. Perhaps due to issues around FPGA board availability, consoles from Analogue tend to be produced in extremely limited quantities, so if you want in on this higher-energy game system, you better work.
Contest: Win Dead Cells - Prisoner's Edition on Switch from Signature Edition Games
In today's contest, you can win a Switch copy of Dead Cells - Prisoner's Edition from Signature Edition Games!
Today, we've got a beefy one! Not as beefy as say, a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, but definitely a behemoth in its own right.
Signature Edition Games produces physical editions of beloved digital indie titles. They're got this massive Prisoner's Edition of indie darling Dead Cells up for grabs, and let me tell you, this thing has it all!
Xbox Series X isn't any quicker at installing games from discs
Most of the discourse around the Xbox Series X has been what it can do faster than the Xbox One. Its PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD means that it's capable of performing loading and transfer tasks quicker than console players are used to. For instance, the breakdown of file transfer times demonstrates nicely what kind of speed we're dealing with.
Here's an area where Xbox Series X hasn't improved: When installing from a disc. According to GamesRadar+'s preview coverage of the new Xbox, its disc installation times are almost identical to last-gen. The example given is that Titanfall 2 took about 35 minutes to install.
Double Fine's classic remasters are coming to Xbox Game Pass this month
Here's a story that you could've deduced with a little simple logic. Microsoft owns Double Fine. We learned earlier this year that Double Fine's classic remasters are breaking free from PS4 console exclusivity. All of Microsoft's first-party games are eventually destined to wind up on Xbox Game Pass. QED, Double Fine's classic remasters are coming to Xbox Game Pass.
Sorry for the flashback to 8th grade geometry. You're not really any less awkward now but at least you're taller!
Double Fine has confirmed that it's three big classic LucasArts remasters -- Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, and Grim Fandango -- will make their way to Xbox Game Pass sooner rather than later:
Buying Cyberpunk 2077 from GOG will get you some bonus lore
If CD Projekt Red had its way, it'd certainly prefer that everyone buy Cyberpunk 2077 through GOG. That's because CDPR owns the digital storefront, meaning 100 percent of proceeds go straight into the the Polish publisher's pocket. No advanced economics degree is required to understand why that's better than a revenue split with Steam or Epic.
To that end, CDPR has sweetened the pot for anyone who's undecided about where to purchase Cyberpunk 2077. GOG is getting some exclusive digital add-ins that might seal the deal for some people.
The linchpin to this offer is a 50-page digital comic called Cyberpunk 2077: Big City Dreams. It tells the story of two scavengers who are "stealing cyberware and spending money on parties and braindances." It's The Odd Couple by way of Cyberpunk as they both want to live very different lifestyles. It sounds like an inessential side story that should help fill in the lore of this world.
There's more. Buyers on GOG also get some "print quality" posters, and a new set of wallpapers and avatars.
If you're going to get Cyberpunk 2077 on PC and you're fine with GOG as your launcher, this is kind of a no-brainer. I'm in love with braindancing and just want as much braindance content as humanly (or cyborgly) possible.
GOG.com's Exclusive Digital Goodie for Cyberpunk 2077 Revealed! [GOG]
Fall Guys made the Season 2 levels less rare and it's planning something sinister for Perfect Match
Nothing is set in stone in Fall Guys, that's for sure. After some of us complained that the medieval-themed Season 2 levels weren't showing up nearly enough in the rotation, Mediatonic has addressed the issue – and added a new Slime Survivors playlist – with an update on PS4 and PC today.
The update increased the odds of the four Season 2 levels showing up, decreased the odds of nicknames and nameplates appearing in the store, and added an alternate playlist, Slime Survivors, that's all about survival-based rounds, culminating in either Hex-A-Gone or Jump Showdown. The latter was bugged initially – the same levels kept repeating over and over – but it has since been fixed.
I'm happy about these changes and I'm excited about two more: a hotfix "early next week" that makes your party member the default selection in spectator mode, and a twist on dull old Perfect Match. Mediatonic is testing a rotating stage hazard for the memory game in the "mid-season update."
Working on level variations for the mid-season update...
— Fall Guys ðŸ'' (@FallGuysGame) October 16, 2020
Community: Perfect Match is too easy
Devs: Hold my crown pic.twitter.com/PZZxYeZyYh
This isn't the only upcoming level variation, either. We gotta be careful what we wish for.
This Zelda: Breath of the Wild combat video is straight out of a Dragon Ball Z episode
I'm halfway through another run of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and knowing what I know now: it makes combat trick videos all the sweeter. Twitter user A.xk is taking things to the next level though, completely trashing a Guardian with a ton of abilities rolled into one video.
You've seen Guardian flipping, right? Well A.xk incorporates it into their beatdown. Using the Cryonis to set their prey up, they launch right into the attack with a gnarly surfing slow-motion archery shot, which looks extra flashy thanks to the Daruk's Protection aura. Then they stun it, launch it, use the momentum from the launch to follow it up in the air with their glider; then continue to lay the smack down while the thing is aerial, flinging it back to the ground.
Of course, the slow-motion badass no-look walkaway at the end is not optional. It must be done or there will be a price to pay (less views I'm guessing!). Note that their character is basically maxed out, with multiple stamina rings and a row of hearts. Don't try this at home kids!
Truth be told I'm still having fun with wrecking Guardians three years later. It's pretty much the first thing I do now when I start a new game: go to Hyrule Field and have a field day. Farming up Guardian parts and running straight into the maw of Hyrule Castle is still my aesthetic.
