Destiny 2 Xur Exotics – Cerberus+1, Lucky Pants, Felwinter's Helm
It's an interesting day to visit Xur in Destiny 2. Not just because he has some new Exotics to sell but because some of them are out of the ordinary. Head to The Winding Cove in the European Dead Zone to see for yourself. Xur will be gone with the next weekly reset so make any purchasing decisions quickly.
This week's Exotic weapon is Cerberus+1, a primary auto rifle with multiple barrels that all fire at the same time. This creates a shotgun-like effect though the damage isn't quite on the same level. Aiming down sights reduces the projectile spread though so there's that. It's weird, for sure, but for 29 Legendary Shards, it might be worth picking up.
Exotic gear includes Lucky Pants (Hunter boots), Heart of Inmost Light (Titan chest) and Felwinter's Helm (Warlock helm), each for 23 Legendary Shards. Heart of Inmost Light allows for an ability's use to empower the others, resulting in faster regen for abilities, stronger melee and grenades, and tankier Barricades. Felwinter's Helm causes elemental melee kills to weaken nearby – the radius and strength of this effect increases against stronger foes and through finishers.
The Outer Worlds is Now Available on Steam and GOG
After being exclusive on PC to the Epic Games Store for more than a year, Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds is now available on Steam and GOG. It's discounted by 50 percent on both platforms to celebrate the launch. You can check out our official review here for our impressions.
The Outer Worlds is set in the distant future where megacorporations have colonized and laid claim to entire planets. You play as the Stranger, a crew member of the colony ship Hope, and investigate the Halycon system. It's not long before the Stranger is mixed up in the affairs of The Board, a group of megacorporations.
This paves the way to helping out the various denizens of Halcyon, though the impact of one's choices may not always be clear. As a first-person shooter/RPG, players can customize their character's attributes and perks, using different approaches to solving problems. Overall, if you ever craved a spiritual success to Fallout: New Vegas, then it might be worth checking out.
The Outer Worlds also available on Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch (with a new patch improving the visuals).
The @OuterWorlds is now available on Steam!
Explore Halcyon! Meet the citizens! Use crazy science weapons! Or just hang out with your favorite companions!
Buy now at a special Steam launch price: https://t.co/EPxTwoiUp2 pic.twitter.com/qbw39qu1gT
— Private Division (@PrivateDivision) October 23, 2020
You can also explore Halycon through @GOGcom!
The @OuterWorlds is now available to purchase on their website: https://t.co/vQKdOGIEVv https://t.co/ANuZ1zcnFr
— Private Division (@PrivateDivision) October 23, 2020
Gears 5 on Xbox Series X/S Features Dave Bautista in Campaign
With the Xbox Series X/S out in just three weeks, The Coalition's Gears 5 will stand as one of the more interesting titles to check out. In addition to being fully optimized for both consoles, however, it also offers a reason to replay the campaign. Check out the trailer below to see what we mean.
Yes, Dave Bautista, the famous wrestler and Hollywood star, can be subbed in to the campaign. He'll take over Marcus Fenix's role so while there won't be any change to lines, everything will be delivered in his signature voice. It's an odd choice but could be a nice extra for some fans.
Along with being playable in 4K, Gears 5 will also support 120 FPS in multiplayer for both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. One can also expect higher particle counts, real-time global illumination, contact shadows and much more. The enhanced version is out on November 10th alongside both consoles. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Outlines How Game Is Optimized For The PS5
This holiday season will see Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales launch alongside the PS5. It's a solo adventure all about Miles as he struggles as a rookie hero. While the game is cross-gen, the developers at Insomniac Games are looking to utilize the power of the PS5 with the game.
Via Game Informer, there were five ways outlined that the game will be optimized for the next gen console. First will be a lack of loading with instant or near-instant load times (though the beloved subway transitions can be turned on if you wish). They also talk about the improved graphics, something touched upon in the past when the game's performance options were detailed.
They also point to how the performances will be better from the motion capture and voice actors due to access to new technology like 4D scans for more complex rigging, which will also go into the next point that the action is able to be more explosive and dynamic. And finally, the PS5's DualSense will help bring more immersion with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which has been touched on in the past. The full article is worth the read, and there's a few gifs with examples of what to expect.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will release on November 12th at the PS5's launch. The game will also come to the PlayStation 4 on the same day.
Fallout 76's Steel Dawn Trailer Teases Upcoming Brotherhood Of Steel Quest
While the games as a service (or live service, if you prefer) model is one that makes many player's cringe, and conjures the images of many failed projects, the truth is that it can be utilized well. There's a few examples of this, with one being Fallout 76. Its launch issues were legendary enough that it even prompted several delays to upcoming projects at Bethesda. As time has marched on, Bethesda has put a lot of effort into turning the game around. Whether it was enough is up to you, but at the very least, there's familiar things fans of the franchise will be happy to see again.
Bethesda released a new trailer for Steel Dawn, the upcoming update for 76. Steel Dawn will be a new quest that will bring back the iconic Brotherhood of Steel, as had been detailed earlier by the last Roadmap. There will be a whole new story, as well as new NPCs and settlements to navigate as you must contest with an early version of the Brotherhood of Steel.
Fallout 76 is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, all of which are free to play until October 26th. Steel Dawn will launch for free to all players with the base game sometime in December.
Sony Announces "Strategic Creative Partnership" With Travis Scott To Promote PS5
Even if you're not into the current rap scene, no doubt you have probably heard the name Travis Scott by now. He's seemingly been everywhere over this past year and has created quite an incredible brand. Now it seems he and Sony are joining together to promote the PlayStation 5.
As announced on the official PlayStation blog, it seems Sony and Scott and his Cactus Jack brand have entered into a creative partnership for promotion of the upcoming console. It's not entirely clear what that entails, but alongside the announcement came a video, which you can see below. It's…well, it's something. It's actually a reference to an old commercial that I imagine most of Scott's core audience probably doesn't get, but it's fun even if you don't know the joke. Presumably, this will be the first of many videos used as promotion for Sony's new system.
The PlayStation 5 will release in select regions on November 12th with the full worldwide release coming on November 19th.
Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition Has Been Delayed To Undetermined Time
Nightdive Studios has become something of a legend when it comes to remastering old classics so they don't get too lost to the past. One such game that they were looking to do that with was 1997's Blade Runner. The adventure game was not directly based on the 1982 film, but is a midquel, with some characters from that movie showing up. It was largely lauded and seen as ahead of its time. But it seems as if some of that time did catch up to it, as some technical issues are leading to the recently announced Enhanced Edition being pushed back.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick confirmed that the game had been pushed back. Despite seemingly having solid progress so far, you can see some comparisons of the cinematics here, they seem to have hit a wall. It seems the studio is trying to find more of the original source code and assets, most of which were thought lost and only recently rediscovered. Still, Kick says the game will still come, just now they have to put it as a TBD (To Be Determined) date for the time being.
"We've had some discussions with EA about what else is in the vault they found regarding Blade Runner, and we haven't been able to get a clear answer," Kick said. "And even if there was something, it's very unlikely they would release it to us for legal reasons, mostly, which is a bit of a disappointment, because we were hoping to at least get the original audio recordings. So we're basically working off what was in the original game at this point and not having access to any original stuff."
It's a shame and hopefully they can pull together what they need to finish the project. But if you're curious, the original non-remastered version of Blade Runner was recently re-released on GOG, which you can check out through here. We'll keep you updated as more information on the Enhanced Edition comes.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gives Us First Look At J. Jonah Jameson
The world of Spider-Man is one filled with many characters and supporting cast for the webslinger to play off of. We've seen a lot of the upcoming Miles Morales, such as the combat and the way stealth works, but now it's time for the man you really want. Some would even say he's the real star of the franchise: J. Jonah Jameson.
J. Jonah was present in the original game, but only via billboards and through his talk radio show where he spreads the word of the true menace of the Spider-Man (now Spider-Men). Via Game Informer, we now get the first look of the man in person and, well, I imagine you'll get a chuckle at how Insomniac Games have chosen to show their first look at the iconic character. Unfortunately, he won't be playable.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will launch on November 12th (or 19th in some regions) for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.
Apex Legends Out on November 4th for Steam, Switch Version Delayed
Respawn Entertainment has some good news and bad news for Apex Legends. First, the good – the free-to-play battle royale shooter is set to arrive on November 4th for Steam. This will coincide with the launch of Season 7, which introduces a new Legend and Battle Pass into the mix.
Those currently on Origin can retain progression and unlocks on Steam or switch between the two platforms as desired. If you are playing on Steam at any time during Season 7, then you expect some exclusive gun charms based on Half-Life and Portal. Whether Steam and Origin players can group together is unknown though.
The bad news is that the Switch version has been delayed to next year. In a recent statement on the same, game director Chad Genier stated, "We're still hard at work on the port, but in order to do justice to the game and make it into the great experience Switch players deserve, our team needs more time. This year has brought on unexpected new challenges, to put it mildly, and we don't want to rush anything out."
Genier did confirm that the Switch version would launch with cross-platform play supported. One can also expect it to have full feature parity with other versions, which includes new seasonal content. Apex Legends is currently available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC via Origin. Stay tuned for more details on Season 7 in the coming days.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4 Review – To the Future
I've had the pleasure of playing through almost all of the Trails games in The Legend of Heroes series over the past year. Seeing Rean Schwarzer emerge from a train in Trista, venturing into the great unknown to stop a civil war, or becoming an instructor to foster a new Class VII – despite how fresh all of these memories still are, it's incredible how far the Cold Steel saga has come. And thus we arrive at The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4, the end of the Erebonia arc, the climactic finale to a journey that began in 2013 on the PS3 and Vita.
"It definitely takes some time for the story to get rolling as the trio is eventually reunited with Ash and Musse, learns more about their current predicament and picks up traces of Rean's location."
After the cliffhanger ending of Cold Steel 3, Cold Steel 4 picks up two weeks after. Erebonia is readying for war and Class VII is left to pick up the pieces with Juna, Kurt and Altina forging a path forward. Though old Class VII members will accompany them from time to time, the first Act is more about getting the new Class VII up to speed on how Erebonia has changed. Wandering around and engaging with various civilians, whether it's a family trying to spend their last few days together or the nobility preparing for the worst, can be compelling in its own right.
Even while retreading a lot of areas from Cold Steel 3, it's still incredible to see different NPCs going through their own trials. The history of Erebonia is dense and seeing the core story advanced while threads from previous titles and even other arcs are weaved in makes for an enjoyable narrative.
However, it definitely takes some time for the story to get rolling as the trio is eventually reunited with Ash and Musse, learns more about their current predicament and picks up traces of Rean's location. Despite how even-paced the first 10 hours or so can be, it still serves a purpose. Class VII is literally picking itself back up and battling despair, along with personal tragedies, for the sake of moving forward.
You'll still encounter some old allies, including other students from Thor's Branch Campus, while engaging in some fun battles. But everything that happens after that is even more compelling, delivering some incredible character moments, boss fights and revelations. I'm loath to give specific examples because, well, spoilers but there's just so much to see here.
"Another great change allows everyone to equip any Mastery Quartz as their secondary, which means more freedom in assigning specific bonuses."
The structure will be familiar to those who have played previous Trails of Cold Steel titles as you'll fulfill requests on the side, engage in Bonding Events and progress through the main story. You'll still partake in mini-games like fishing and Vantage Masters while also jumping into new ones like Pom Pom Party!, the series' take on tile-matching puzzlers. Taking landscape photos, reporting battle progress and discovering various books on the world's stories also return as do mech battles.
The battle system is also fairly established with its Crafts and Arts, with some slight changes over the previous game. Depleting an enemy's break meter is tougher, requiring even more buffs and building towards break damage. Orders have also been revamped, being slightly weaker from the outset but upgradeable down the line.
To compensate for this, you can now store up to seven Bravery Points, allowing for Orders to be doled out more often. This, combined with the Break meter change, makes you consider whether it's better to Rush or Burst a foe and break them, or save that BP for a longer battle. It does encourage more careful deployment of Orders and usage of Arts than Cold Steel 3, which is a nice change of pace.
Another great change allows everyone to equip any Mastery Quartz as their secondary, which means more freedom in assigning specific bonuses. Want to have two party members benefiting from Minotauros, delivering more damage with Crafts at the expense of longer delays? How about specifically gearing your entire party towards break damage? You can do all of that and more.
"Though I would have liked some more exposure for certain party members in the main story, it's to the credit of Falcom's writing team that everyone is integrated near-seamlessly as one's journey continues. "
I'd have loved some more new additions, especially in the Quartz department, though Lost Arts make a much-needed return and new Class VII's Panzer Soldats can be summoned in battles, making for some interesting new strategies. You also receive upgrades for existing Crafts, along with a very interesting mechanic that further mixes up battles in the middle-game. The large party roster negates the need for lots of new Crafts while new Class VII receives some new S-Crafts so there is still plenty of variety to be had.
Overall, Cold Steel 4's battle system is top-notch and there's a good mix of enemies, ranging from established fiends and monsters to new threats, to keep you occupied. The story bosses are very entertaining throughout, each bringing something interesting to the table while offering their own challenges (save for one or two which can be slightly easier than they appear). The optional bosses are where you'll really cut your teeth, utilizing Orders, buffs, different combinations of party members and so on to succeed.
At the end of the day, the game would be nothing without its characters and thankfully, there's an ample amount of time devoted to making them shine. The Bonding Events provide a wealth of great scenarios for each character, providing some manner of closure to past events, examining their current state of mind or setting up a future relationship.
It speaks to the quality of writing in the Events experienced thus far that only one really stuck out as being overtly contrived. Though I would have liked some more exposure for certain party members in the main story, it's to the credit of Falcom's writing team that everyone is integrated near-seamlessly as one's journey continues. This pertains both to the various plot points as well banter on the field and during select scenes.
"Written dialogue still falls prey to some redundant lines here and there, especially when it comes to reminding the player of objectives, and some scenes could use a bit of trimming."
You also have Quests which provide all kinds of interesting tasks. Some may seem like your run-of-the-mill errands like collecting items and exterminating monsters. But they all provide plenty of development for the game's endearing cast of NPCs, either bringing you up to speed on their current affairs or setting up future events. Even the monster exterminations provide their own interesting challenges (with a pushover or two here and there).
Of course, there is plenty to nitpick. Managing such a large roster can be daunting, especially in the early going but this shifts to being more manageable later thanks to a larger influx of resources. Environmental design, cutscene presentation and animation are handled well throughout, though it's not a huge leap in quality over the previous game (which is likely due to Falcom's PhyreEngine reaching its limits).
Performance also suffers at times, especially in more detailed battle fields with several enemies and effects going off at once. The depth-of-field utilized in some instances can also be annoying but fortunately, it wasn't too heavy-handed. Also, while there are plenty of new areas added, a good chunk of the game still revolves around revisiting locations from Cold Steel 3. It isn't a negative per say, given the overall changes to the world's inhabitants, but it's still worth noting.
In terms of English localization, I was quite satisfied with the overall work done. Written dialogue still falls prey to some redundant lines here and there, especially when it comes to reminding the player of objectives, and some scenes could use a bit of trimming. There are also a few awkward lines here and there with some performances lacking that extra bit of oomph compared to previous games. A lot of the post-battle interactions that occur from between two characters are also kind of weak. That being said, there are still plenty of lines and scenes that range from very good to excellent, and are on point when it matters the most.
"For fans of the series, there are definitely some bumps to manage here and there, especially when starting out. However, Trails of Cold Steel 4 is an excellent sequel overall and a fitting way to end the Erebonia saga."
Given the overall size and scale of the project, the sheer number of talent on-board and the range of interactions, I still feel that the localization is pretty good as a whole. Similarly for the music, which features several great new tracks along with a rocking main theme and the return of iconic songs from the previous games. While some tracks are an acquired taste (like the more techno-oriented Synchronicity #23), there's a lot of good stuff here that adds to the overall atmosphere, especially the battle themes.
Despite its various issues, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4 is a very good RPG with memorable characters, fun battles, a compelling story and tons of great side content to engage with. Those who know nothing about the series are encouraged to start with the first game to get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of the story. There is an excellent in-game encyclopedia that brings you up to speed on events thus far but experiencing them first-hand is well worth it. For fans of the series, there are definitely some bumps to manage here and there, especially when starting out. However, Trails of Cold Steel 4 is an excellent sequel overall and a fitting way to end the Erebonia saga.
This game was reviewed on PS4.