Ubisoft have a number of major games lined up for release in the coming months, and as you would expect, all of them are going to release as cross-gen titles, available on all current- and next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Recently, Ubisoft published an update in which they detailed what sort of visual and technical enhancements players can expect to see in their games on the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The publisher has already detailed in the past that Watch Dogs: Legion will run at 4K and 30 FPS while having ray-tracing enabled, while Assassin's Creed Valhalla will run at 4K and 60 FPS on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Ubisoft have now also confirmed that Immortals Fenyx Rising, Far Cry 6, and Riders Republic will all also target 4K and 60 FPS on the two next-gen devices.
Additionally, Ubisoft says that Immortals Fenyx Rising will use HDR and have faster load times. It will use the Xbox Series X's Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and the PS5's 3D audio engine and haptic feedback in the DualSense.
Immortals Fenyx Rising is out on December 3, Far Cry 6 a couple of months afterward on February 18, and Riders Republic shortly after that on February 25.
All three games will be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. Immortals Fenyx Rising will also release for the Nintendo Switch.
Cyberpunk 2077 Lore – What is the Arasaka Corporation?
The world of Cyberpunk – from the tabletop RPG, to its multiple editions, to the upcoming CD Projekt RED game – is one that is, like many cyberpunk settings, dominated by corporations and commercial giants. Through ever-growing profits, in Cyberpunk, companies have grown to massive proportions and exert influence and control over all walks of like all over the world. Night City, as the cultural and commercial hub of this world, is perfectly emblematic of that corporate power.
And perhaps one of the biggest – if not the biggest – corporations of them all is the Arasaka Corporation. What started as a small family business in Japan has, over the course of over 160 years, grown into one of the largest megacorporations in the world, with influence in the economic, military, cultural, political, and many other spheres. Night City is, for all intents and purposes, owned and run by Arasaka, whose headquarters in the city, the Arasaka Tower, sits proudly in the Corpo Plaza and towers over the entire city.
But what exactly is the Arasaka Corporation? How did they get to be in this position of power? What role are they going to play in Cyberpunk 2077's story? Before we get into all that, it's important to look back and see the events that have transpired over decades to lead to where we find the megacorp when Cyberpunk 2077 kicks off.
Founded in Tokyo, Japan by Sasai Arasaka in the year 1915, Arasaka Corporation started out as a weapons manufacturing company. In the years leading up to World War II, Arasaka's business grew rapidly, and so, too, did its reputation, By the time the war started, Arasaka had become the primary manufacturer and supplied of weapons Japan's imperial army. Sasai Arasaka, however, was also one of those who saw Japan's defeat in the war coming, and as such, came up with measures to save his wealth and flourish even in the post-war period.
By 1960, Sasai Arasaka was dead, and his son, Saburo Arasaka had taken over as CEO- and his vision for the company and what place it had in the world, it turned out, was much grander than that of his father. Saburo Arasaka realized that after the Second World War, Japan would grow on the world stage not with politics or military might, but through commerce, and he saw the Arasaka Corporation as the one that would spearhead that growth. Through commercial success and economic might, Saburo Arasaka wanted to exert influence over the political and military circles of the world in his own way.
Every decision he made for the company was driven by that goal. At the time, Arasaka's manufacturing and banking divisions were its biggest business, the former especially. Arasaka-manufactured vehicles and weapons were globally successful, and highly sought after by military and police forces around the world. Saburo Arasaka set up a third division- Arasaka Security, specializing in personnel, computers, and electronic secutiry. The Arasaka Security grew quickly, and soon, the corporation had thousands of highly trained agents, essentially an army of its own, and was often contracted for security services across the world.
In the late 1990s, Arasaka Corporation had moved into the paramilitary contracting business as well, and began training the world's first corporate armies. Over the coming years, Arasaka aggressively either sabotaged or absorbed all of its corporation, while also regularly buying out companies that they thought would prove to be assets to them in the future. Arasaka Corporation also had extreme influence in Japanese political circles, with 60% of the National Diet being occupied by politicians who had been bought by the megacorp.
By the year 2020, Arasaka was essentially on top of the world. Its banking, manufacturing, and security divisions had continued to expand while the company diversified in other areas, and its valuation had increased to 475 billion Eurodollars (which, by that time, had become the primary currency in the world of Cyberpunk). Saburo Arasaka, now aged 101, had replaced several parts of his body with cybernetics, but was still aged and growing weaker, and had, as such, relinquished much of the control to his son, Kei Arasaka.
Of course, it's not surprising given the corporation's meteoric growth that it had a reputation for being ruthless and, quite often, straight up taking actions beyond the limits of law. Covert options, sabotage, abductions, assassinations, bribery, espionage, extortions, blackmail- these are just a few of the things Arasaka routinely indulged in to further its interests, and would continue to indulge in.
Things were clearly going well for the company- but then came the Fourth Corporate War, a global conflict that went on from 2021 to 2023 between two aquacorps known as CINO and OTEC. During their conflicts, CINO hired Arasaka's paramilitary to fight for them, while OTEC hired Militech, who, along with Arasaka, were one of the biggest paramilitary corporations in the world. The war, however, did not go well for Arasaka Corporation. By the time it had came to an end, Kei Arasaka had died, Arasaka Tower in Night City had been destroyed in an attack by Militech, and the United States publicly blaming Arasaka themselves for the attack.
Meanwhile, the company's charters to operate in the United States was revoked, and Arasaka was reduced to a Japan-only corporation, which wouldn't change for at least a decade. Arasaka's assets in the United States were either seized or driven off-shore, while its board members were declared terrorists. Japan itself also had to publicly condemn Arasaka. All in all, by the time the Fourth Corporate War came to an end, Arasaka Corporation was in the worst shape of its life.
Though they operated purely as a Japanese company for the next decade and had to spend a lot of time doing damage control and then recovering from their devastating defeat in the war, they did eventually recover. By 2077, Arasaka, now seemingly run by Yorinobu Arasaka, is one of the biggest and more powerful megacorporations in the world once again, and has even managed to return to the United States. The megacorp now operates in Night City as well, with a tower in the city's centre, and is essentially the ultimate power in Night City.
And that's the state they're going to be in when Cyberpunk 2077's story kicks off. The company is now apparently one of many groups and factions looking for what essentially supposed to be a digital immortality chip, and Johnny Silverhand, who has held a grudge against the megacorp for a long time, is seemingly in the thick of things as well. Clearly, Arasaka is going to have an important role to play in Cyberpunk 2077, and will shape much of the game's story in significant ways. It remains to be seen just how that will happen- thankfully, we don't have to wait too long to find out.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure – 14 Features You Need To Know
Sackboy is back in a brand new adventure but this one is a little different from Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet series. It's a full-fledged 3D platformer with co-op support and more focused on a linear story than creating and sharing. Nonetheless, it's still one of the better looking titles for the PS5 (and PS4) when it launches on November 12th. Here are 14 things you need to know before picking it up.
Story
Sackboy: A Big Adventure's story takes a more traditional approach to adventure and conflict than its predecessors. It's set in Craftworld where Sacklings live together in harmony. That is, until the powerful Vex kidnaps Sackboy's friends and unleashes nightmares on the world.
Designed to Run at 60 FPS
Sumo Digital hasn't outright confirmed whether Sackboy: A Big Adventure runs in 4K resolution on the PS5 (though 4K trailers have been released). However, design director Ned Waterhouse confirmed that the game was designed from the very start to run at 60 FPS. How will it run on PS4? That remains to be seen but for now, it looks pretty good.
Haptic Feedback and Tempest 3D Audio Support
Along with fast loading on the PS5 courtesy of the SSD, Sackboy's latest adventure will also support the DualSense's haptic feedback. This simulates the feel of different materials that make up levels, including the various platforms you'll be hopping on. Tempest 3D AudioTech will also be supported, allowing Craftworld's various sounds to emanate from all around the player and increase immersiveness.
More Responsive Sackboy
With the shift to more platformer-heavy gameplay, Sackboy has undergone a revamp to have more responsive movement and controls. Gameplay trailers have showcased moves like flutter jumps, rolling down inclined surfaces, dodge rolls, melee strikes – all animated fluidly and without any hiccups. There are "tons" of new skills and abilities to look forward to as the game progresses.
Power-Ups
It wouldn't be an adventure with Sackboy without a variety of different power-ups and gadgets to utilize. The Grappling Hook from LittleBigPlanet makes a return and one can also acquire a boomerang to destroy obstacles from a distance. There also seems to be a rolling sphere that Sackboy can hop into for mowing down enemies and obstacles. There's also apparently one that "turns the world on its head." While the full extent of power-ups hasn't been revealed, we're excited for the possibilities.
Control Options
Another important part of the controls that Waterhouse brought up is allowing players to define their own style of play. While not outright saying "customizable controls," the developer's goal is to provide loads of options to players and let them decide how they want to play the game. One particular feature we hope for are extensive accessibility features, especially given how good these have been in recent Sony-published titles.
Level Variety
Sackboy's journey won't be an easy one. Unlike previous titles, the perspective isn't limited to 2.5D platforming, instead taking place from an isometric point of view, 2.5D view, an overhead perspective and so on. The sheer range of environments is also worth noting as Sackboy will venture onto a runaway train traveling through a mountain pass, snowy mountains, jungles, underwater and even outer space. Each level seen thus looks absolutely stellar with its art design and direction.
Unique Enemies, Secrets and More in Each Level
But the most important thing to note is that no two levels will be ever the same. Each will have their own unique enemies and power-ups, different secrets to uncover and Challenges to complete. Some will even contain bosses to tussle with en route to the final battle with Vex. There will also be different collectibles to acquire, including costumes.
Over 60 Costumes
Though it doesn't have the "Play, Create, Share" emphasis of LittleBigPlanet, there's extensive customization available for Sackboy by way of over 60 different costumes. Different pieces of each costume can also be mixed and matched together for unique looks. Collecting all of these shouldn't be a problem either, thanks to the new Objectives and Game Help features in the PS5's UI.
Co-op Support
It also wouldn't be a Sackboy title without full co-op support. Up to four players can team together, battling their way through each level and utilizing unique mechanics. The full game is playable in co-op either online or at home with others. When you're satisfied finishing the game together, there are also some unique co-op levels to complete which may put your coordination to the test.
Unique Co-op Mechanics
As noted before, co-op introduces some unique problems. Solving them means getting a bit creative, like picking up items and throwing them to other players or even tossing other players to those out-of-reach places. One player can even jump on top of another as they roll down hill. Of course, there's plenty of opportunity to troll others as well, like straight-up kicking them off ledges.
Emotes
Co-op will also benefit from a full emote system. While it may not help coordination as well as, say, actually talking, it's adorable to see various Sacklings hugging, dancing, chest bumping and playing air guitar. Sumo Digital hasn't said anything about additional emotes to unlock in-game but with all the other cosmetics, it would seem a given.
Digital Deluxe and Special Edition Details
Sackboy: A Big Adventure will retail for $60 on PS5 at launch but will have two other editions available. Pre-ordering any edition will net you a copy of The Gathering Storm, a comic which gives some backstory on Scarlet, Sackboy's mentor. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the comic along with a digital art book, digital soundtrack, four costumes based on PlayStation icons like Ghost of Tsushima's Jin, Death Stranding's Sam, Days Gone's Deacon and Detroit: Become Human's Connor and four emotes unique to them. You even get 20 avatars of Sackboy wearing different costumes. The Special Edition costs $90 and includes all of this, a physical art book and a Sackboy plush with a tiger outfit that's just the cutest thing.
PS4 to PS5 Save Transfer
After its most recent showcase, Sony confirmed that Sackboy: A Big Adventure would also be releasing for the PS4 in November. This version will be playable on PS5 and while saves will transfer from PS4 to PS5, it'll only be possible after an update. Said update will come "shortly after" the game's release.
Apex Legends Season 7 Revealed – Horizon, Olympus, and More
Respawn Entertainment has unveiled Apex Legends' next season along with its newest upcoming Legend. It's Dr. Mary Somers aka Horizon, an astrophysicist looking to solve an energy crisis and finding herself against impossible odds. Check out her backstory in "Promise" below.
Horizon's abilities appear to be gravity-based, though we'll have a better idea on them in the coming days. Season 7 – Ascension will also introduce a new map called Olympus. This is described as a "beautiful, lush city in the clouds" though it seems possible to fall and plummet back to the planet. The Trident has also been added for covering Olympus faster and can fit an entire squad.
A new battle pass with over 100 exclusive cosmetics, Ranked Season 7 and Clubs for finding like-minded players are also coming. Apex Legends – Season 7 is out on November 4th, which also marks the game's release on Steam. Stay tuned for more details in the coming week including gameplay of Horizon.
Destruction AllStars Delayed to February 2021
Among the many titles launching for the PlayStation 5 next month was Lucid Games' Destruction AllStars, a vehicular combat title with a snazzy aesthetic. However, a delay for the title has been announced with its release month shifted to February 2021. Furthermore, it will be included with PlayStation Plus for two months.
On the PlayStation Blog, director of product development Pete Smith said that as a multiplayer game, Destruction AllStars is "at its best when you're competing with gamers online from all around the world." This is the main reason behind moving it to PlayStation Plus. Those who pre-ordered the title, either at retail or digitally, will have their purchase refunded.
More details, along with a new trailer, will be released next week to provide a better look at the title before its new release date. Stay tuned in the meantime. As for the PlayStation 5, it's slated to release on November 12th for North America and Japan while Europe and the rest of the world gets it on November 19th.
The Rumoured Nintendo Switch Pro Might Have a Mini-LED Display
Rumours of a more powerful Switch model have been around for over a year at this point. Commonly being called the Switch Pro (though that most likely won't be its actual name), recent months have seen rumours about it heating up once more, with the console supposedly due out in 2021 alongside a slew of major new releases, and Nintendo having started asking its development partners to make their games 4K-ready.
Official details on the new Switch variant likely won't be coming for some months yet, but a new leak may have provided some interesting new details. As per a report by Economic News Daily (via Nintendo Life), Nintendo are supposedly parting ways with their current screen suppliers Sharp and JDI, and will instead be partnering up with Taiwanese-based panel manufacturer Innolux Corporation
This, reportedly, is because Nintendo is going to replace the current Switch model's screen, which is a 720p LCD display, with a new Mini-LED panel, which will make for sharper contrast, better brightness and backlighting, all-around improved picture quality, and a longer battery life.
This is an unconfirmed report, so don't put too much stock in it just yet, but all the recent leaks about the rumoured new Switch model have claimed that Nintendo are looking to improve the Switch's screen and deliver better image quality, and this certainly falls in line with that.
Either way, we'll keep our ear to the ground for any new updates, so stay tuned to GamingBolt.
PUBG Will Run at 60 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X
Though massively popular battle royale shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds isn't getting a dedicated next-gen release yet, the game will be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S when the two consoles become available thanks to backward compatibility. In a recent update, the game's developers confirmed what enhancements players can expect to see on next-gen hardware as a result.
On both PS5 and Xbox Series X, PUBG will run at 60 FPS with the Framerate Priority option selected. These versions are based on the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X builds of the game respectively, which are getting the Framerate Priority option added in the October update.
Meanwhile, on the Xbox Series S, PUBG will continue to run at 30 FPS, based on the base Xbox One build of the game. The developers say that an option to raise the framerate cap on the base Xbox One and the Xbox Series S will be added later on, but no specific window is provided for that.
The developers also say that on next-gen consoles, PUBG's perforance is "extremely smooth and stable" and has "little to no frame drops", while also benefitting from faster loading.
PUBG is currently available on PC, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android, and Stadia. It will be available via backward compatibility for Xbox Series X/S on November 10, and for PS5 on November 12.
Xbox Series X/S – Next-Gen Walkthrough Details Dashboard, New Guide, Share Button, and More
With the Xbox Series X/S launching in just a few short weeks, Microsoft has released an official next-gen walkthrough video covering everything one needs to know about their features. Xbox community program manager Malik Prince and principal program manager Harrison Hoffman are on hand to detail everything, from the design to the Home page, Dashboard and much more. Check it out below.
Hoffman talks about how the two goals of the new experience are to make things simpler for new owners and provide more power to those upgrading. Home will provide quick access to games played recently, also showcases the new snazzy dynamic backgrounds (with more coming in the future). Gears 5 is showcased with its next-gen optimizations, like improved textures that are akin to Ultra settings for the PC version.
Then there's the new Guide, accessed by pressing the Xbox button. Much like the current Guide, it can be used to switch between apps, party chat and more. It also enables the use of Quick Resume to quickly switch back to another game in progress. The Share button is also showcased, and can be pressed once for a screenshot or held for capturing video clips. Media is captured and shared faster as well, along with the option to automatically share it online.
There's a lot more to go through so it's worth watching the entire walkthrough. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are out on November 10th worldwide. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.
Celeste, Deep Rock Galactic and More Coming to Xbox Game Pass in November
Xbox Game Pass subscribers have quite a lot to look forward to in October with Carto, Day of the Tentacle Remastered, Five Nights at Freddy's 1 to 4 and much more out this week. But there's even more to come. Microsoft has announced November's initial line-up for Game Pass, which includes Matt Makes Games' Celeste.
The critically acclaimed platformer will be available for console and PC subscribers on November 5th (with support for Android as well). Comanche comes to PC subscribers on the same day and offers modern helicopter action in various multiplayer modes. Then there's Deep Rock Galactic, a 1 to 4 player co-op title that features Space Dwarves, mining and battles against alien hordes. It will be available for console and PC subscribers.
Other titles releasing on November 5th include Eastshade and Knights and Bikes, both playable on console and PC. ARK: Survival Evolved – Explorer's Edition is out on November 17th for subscribers on both platforms and also supports Android. Stay tuned for more details on other Game Pass titles coming next month especially with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launches on November 10th.
My Time at Sandrock Announced for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Current-Gen Consoles
After My Time at Portia, Panthea Games is expanding on its Harvest Moon-style of RPG gameplay with My Time at Sandrock. It's coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch in 2022. However, it will also be available on Steam Early Access starting in March 2021. Check out the announcement trailer below.
Much like its predecessor, My Time at Sandrock sees the player working as a Builder in the city-state, which is located in the Eufaula Desert. Wood and water are fairly rare but there are several other things to discover, like relics. Along with expanding on the Free Cities lore, the developer is also looking to add multiplayer for "at least four players in an open world map, separate from the single-player map."
Farming and building relationships with different characters is still key while the battle system, though requiring more depth, "feels and plays much better than in Portia." Skills, new Dungeon types and mini-games, and more will also be included. To further aid in the development of multiplayer and allowing the developer to self-publish, a Kickstarter with a $100,000 goal is currently live.
My Time at Sandrock will launch for PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG and so on in Spring 2022. Current and next-gen consoles will get it in Summer 2022. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.