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Risk of Rain 2 – Update 1.0 Now Available on Consoles

Risk of Rain 2

Hopoo Games' Risk of Rain 2 has finally received update 1.0 on Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. It was originally available only for the PC version when the rogue-lite shooter exited early access. Now everyone else can jump in and attempt to escape (though it's going to be a lot tougher than you think).

Update 1.0 adds quite a lot of new content. There's two new monsters, a new Survivor (The Captain), a proper ending with credits, several new items and equipment, and a new interactable in The Scrapper. Those seeking to find or host games while messing with different settings can rely on the new Server Browser.

For our thoughts on Risk of Rain 2, check out GamingBolt's official review here. This update doesn't mean the end of support – Hopoo Games has confirmed that one more free update is coming and is also currently planning paid expansions. Modding support of some kind is also being looked into. Stay tuned for more details, as always.

Ghost of Tsushima Developer Hiring Narrative Writer for "Upcoming Projects"

ghost of tsushima

Sucker Punch Productions has done a pretty good job with Ghost of Tsushima, earning critical and commercial success. Its updates for the game, including the recent co-op mode Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, have also garnered tons of acclaim. But what's next for the studio, aside from PS5 enhancements for the base game?

If a recent job listing for a Narrative Writer is any indication, then a full-fledged sequel. The writer's job will be to "help create engaging narrative content for our upcoming projects. Daily tasks will include writing dialogue and text, developing open-world stories, and crafting narrative content in collaboration with other designers. Our ideal candidate will have previous success as a game writer, outstanding dialogue skills, and an excellent understanding of how to tell impactful, character-driven stories within a AAA open-world game."

"Character-driven stories" sounds a lot like Ghost of Tsushima's Tales, several which had important characters and allies at the forefront. Of course, having knowledge of Feudal Japan history along with the desire to writer stories set in the period are also noted as requirements. If all of this doesn't point to a sequel, then we don't know what else could.

Of course, it's also possible that Sucker Punch is looking to create additional content for the base game, whether it's free or a paid expansion. This wouldn't be a bad option either – with the PS5 around the corner and backwards compatibility being confirmed, there may be a bunch of new players to cater to. Time will ultimately tell though.

In the meantime, check out our review of Ghost of Tsushima here.

Genshin Impact Guide – Best Weapons in Each Class

Genshin Impact_02

Along with upgrading characters and unlocking new Talents, you'll need some fairly good weapons to survive the end-game of Genshin Impact. With several different weapon types, each with their star ratings, it can be hard to figure out what's the best at first. The first tip – don't bother putting too many resources into any random weapon. Check its rarity first and whether the perks fit your play-style.

If you need significant boosts in power, upgrade a character or their Artifact first (assuming the latter has great stats). Furthermore, don't worry too much about 1 star and 2 star weapons. Collect them for upgrading higher tier weapons but don't fret about using them. Now, what weapons would we recommend?

For Swords, go for the Skyward Blade or Aquila Favonia, both 5 star weapons. They both provide increased attack but the former provides increased crit rate and attack and movement speed after an Elemental Burst. The latter will restore health when taking damage and can also dish out AoE damage.

In the 4 star Sword category, you have Blackcliff Long Sword, Dark Iron Sword, Prototype Rancour, The Flute, Iron Sting, The Black Sword, Sacrificial Sword and Lion's Roar. The Black Sword restores health from some of the damage received while the Sacrificial Sword has a chance to remove the cooldown of one's Elemental skill. After these, we'd go for the Prototype Rancor since you gain increased attack and defense when attacking foes. If you want a strong weapon for clearing trash mobs, then the Blackcliff Long Sword is worth looking at since it buffs your attack after killing an enemy, which stacks.

In the 3 star category is Cold Steel, which can be obtained pretty easily through Wishes and offers increased damage against Hydro and Cryo affected foes. Given its niche nature though, it's best to discard it after getting any of the above options.

Now we come to bows, which is a great weapon for all kinds of characters. Options among the 5 star range include Skyward Harp and Amos' Bow. While Skyward Harp offers very high crit damage, Amos' Bow has very good ranged damage and overall DPS. In the 4 star category, you have Blackcliff Warbow, The Stringless, Rust, The Viridescent Hunt, Alley Hunter, Compound Bow, Favonius Warbow, and Sacrificial Bow. The Viridescent Hunt is very good for crowd control since it can call forth a cyclone that pulls enemies together. Alley Hunter is recommended for increasing one's crit rate the longer a character is in the field.

In the 3 star range, it's slim picking once again with just the Slingshot available. Still, given that it increase normal attack damage, it's better than nothing.

Catalysts are primarily for magic wielders and can be great for boosting elemental damage. In the 5 star range, there's Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds and Skyward Atlas, the former increasing crit and movement speed while increasing elemental damage for a character the longer they're on the field. The latter will boost elemental damage but also creates a cloud that will increase damage to enemies.

For the 4 star Catalysts, there is – in descending order of preference – The Widsith, Blackcliff Amulet, Eye of Perception, Sacrificial Fragments, Prototype Malice, Mappa Mare and Solar Pearl. The Wildsith is great for damage since one has the chance to gain increased attack, elementary mastery or elemental damage. Mappa Mare is another great choice since it will increase the effect of elemental reactions (which is important given how much you'll be using them in end-game). If you're looking for more sustainability, then Prototype Malice is recommended since it will regen the party's health.

Finally, in the 3 star range, there's Amber Catalyst and Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers. While the former increases elemental damage with normal hits, the latter will boost a character's attack when switching switching to them.

Claymores are the big, heavy blades of Genshin Impact. They're slow but deal massive amounts of damage. In the 5 star range, you have Skyward Pride and Wolf's Gravestone. Skyward Pride will increase a character's damage but also generates a vacuum when using a character's normal, charge or elemental burst attacks for even more damage. Wolf's Gravestone offers a large bump in attack while increasing the party's overall attack as well.

Among the 4 star Claymores, we have Blackcliff Slasher, The Bell, Serpent Spine Prototype Animus. Blackcliff Slasher, once again, increases one's attack after defeating an enemy but it's great for tougher enemies given the Claymore's high base attack. Serpent Spine is good for overall DPS since damage is increased the longer a character stays on the field. If you want something tankier, then The Bell is a good choice – it creates a shield when switching characters and while it's active, damage is increased. In the 3 star range, there's only the Debate Club which provides increased damage for elemental skills.

Polearms are also somewhat limited but can be very deadly. In the 5 star range is the likes of Primordial Jade Winged-Spear and Skyward Spine. The latter works much like its Claymore version but the former will gain increased attack, up to seven stacks, with each hit.

For 4 star Polearms, there's Deathmatch, Favonius Lance, Crescent Pike, Blackcliff Pole and Prototype Grudge. Deathmatch is a surprisingly potent defensive option when fighting multiple foes – it boosts attack and defense based on the number of enemies on the field. Favonius Lance is also somewhat useful for critical builds since critical hits will create Elemental Orbs that allow elemental burst attacks to be used more. Finally, in the 3 star range, there's White Tassel which increases normal attack damage.

Gaining 5 star weapons can be tough without using Wishes. To that end, don't completely discount 3 star weapons – if properly enhanced, they can still prove very strong. Again, find a weapon that fits your play-style and enhance it with materials as needed.

For more information on Genshin Impact, check out this guide for performing elemental combos and our official review here.

DiRT 5 Releases November 12th for PS5

dirt 5

After previously stating that the release date was yet to be confirmed, Codemasters has announced that DiRT 5 will be coming to PS5 on November 12th. It will support 4K and 120 FPS options along with faster loading times and a free upgrade from the PS4 version (though progress won't carry over). There will also be cross-gen online play with PS4 players.

Support for the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers was also confirmed. Though the developer stated that there could have some "interesting implementations" for the technology, it has yet to outline how it will work with DiRT 5. Hopefully, all will be revealed before launch.

DiRT 5 is currently slated to release on November 6th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. For Xbox Series X/S, it's out on November 10th (with support for 4K and 120 FPS on Xbox Series X). Finally, the Google Stadia version will be out in 2021. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Amnesia: Rebirth is Out Now, Spooky Launch Trailer Released

amnesia rebirth

Frictional Games' Amnesia: Rebirth, a direct sequel to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, is out now. It's available for PS4 and PC, and features a new protagonist named Tasi Trianon who's stranded in the Algeria desert. Of course, it's quickly established that something is hunting her. Check out the launch trailer below.

Being an Amnesia game, Tasi awakens with no memories. Thus she must explore the desert and other ruins, piecing everything together. It's already been revealed that she, along with other survivors, crash-landed in the desert by accident. You can learn more about that here (though be warned of slight spoilers).

For Amnesia fans, all the classic elements are here – terrifying phenomena that will test your sanity, environmental puzzles, resource management (like stress) and so on. Check out our review for the game here to see how it fares. Stay tuned for more details on it in the coming months, especially if it receives any enhancements for PS5.

PS5's Share Factory Detailed, Includes 4K HDR, Updated Toolbox, And More

PS5 Logo

The time draws near as Sony's next generation console is slowly, but surely, lumbering to us. It's been a rough year for sure, and hopefully if you did manage to get a pre-order in for a PS5, this will alleviate some of the woes of the year. Of course, new consoles mean new features and today we got details on the new Share Factory update.

Via the official Twitter we got our first teases of the new Share Factory. The app allows you to edit and share your content, and the PS5 version will add a new toolbox as well as includes 4K HDR support for very clean and professional videos. Of course, there will be new stickers, text, sounds and more to spice things up and post to your various social media accounts. There's also a tease for something called the Game Base that will presumably be revealed later. We'll keep you updated on that.

The PlayStation 5 will launch in some regions come November 12th. The full worldwide release will be one week later on November 19th.

PS4 Listings Now Have PS5 Backward Compatibility Message In PS Store

PlayStation logo

There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to the upcoming generation of consoles. For one, well, new games are coming, of course. But one of the separating factors from this gen from the last is the upcoming consoles will have full backward compatibility with the current machines (and even beyond if you're going with the Xbox Series systems). And as we're seeing now, things are being prepped.

As reported earlier today, the new PS Store layout is rolling out in select regions now. As first noted by Twisted Voxel, it seems that all PS4 listings now have something of a warning for being backward compatible with the PS5, even those that haven't been updated yet. It's nothing too serious, and I imagine is largely there to cover any potential issues

"To play this game on PS5, your system may need to be updated to the latest system software. Although this game is playable on PS5, some features available on PS4 may be absent. See PlayStation.com/bc for more details."

We already know the extent of the PS5's backward compatibility, as well as a few PS4 games that are known not to work, and you can read all about that through here. You'll be able to play these games on the PS5 when it launches on November 12th.

PS5 Being Vertical Or Horizontal Makes No Difference To Cooling Performance, Says Ootori

ps5

The PS5 is coming soon, and it seems fair to say it's a big ol' boy. While it'll be hard to gauge exactly how big it is until it's in your own hands, it looks to be one of the biggest consoles I can recall. Because of that, as you can imagine, it's going to take a lot of cooling, and it has a massive fan to do just that. But does it matter how you place it? According to one of the designers, not really.

In an interview with 4Gamer, Sony's Mechanical Design Department VP Yasuhiro Ootori talked about the system's design. In the interview he talked a lot about the guts of the machine, such as the liquid metal cooling system. When asked about whether it mattered how the system was positioned, Ootori reassured that it didn't. He said despite the way the system looks, as if it's built to be vertical to disperse heat, it actually is the same either vertical or horizontal. Though he said he preferred vertical himself.

"This is a frequently asked question. From the designer's point of view, there is no difference in cooling performance between vertical and horizontal installation. I think some people think that the heat dissipation efficiency should be higher in the vertical installation due to the chimney effect. However, in a cooling system with an active fan (electric fan), the chimney effect is at the measurement error level. It works according to the specifications in both horizontal and vertical installation. Personally, I like the vertical placement where the top and bottom of the "PS logo" can be seen correctly."

The PlayStation 5 will launch in select regions on November 12th with a full worldwide rollout a week later on the 19th. Ootori actually did a full teardown of the PS5, including showing it both vertically and horizontally, which you can watch in full through here.

PS5 Camera Adapter Is Included In Newer Japanese PSVR Bundles

psvr

We are very close now to the launch of Sony's PS5, their next generation console. What we seemingly are not close to is a new VR headset from the company. While they have hinted that they will continue with the tech and improving it, as of now there's nothing but hearsay and rumors about a potential PSVR 2. But the original headset will still be compatible with the PS5 with an adapter, and Sony (at least in Japan) is helping new buyers out.

It was known that the PS5 Camera would not be directly compatible with the current VR set up awhile back. You will need the original camera and an adapter. As spotted by Gamekult, it seems that newer PSVR bundles hitting Japan do have the adapter that will allow you to hook up your headset to the new system.

Nothing official has been said about it, so it's unclear if this is just for Japan or if it'll be the same case internationally. Considering this means that it'll probably be a good while before we get the fabled PSVR 2, it's very possible it'll be standard for upcoming bundles everywhere.

Apex Legends – Fight or Fright Event Returns Tomorrow

Apex Legends - Fight or Fright 2020

Respawn Entertainment's Apex Legends is getting into the Halloween spirit with the return of Fight or Fright. Along with spooky cosmetics, like skins for various legends, there will be new challenges to complete and an intriguing new mode. Check out the trailer below to see it in action.

The new limited time mode is called Shadow Royale and it adds Shadow Squads into the mix. Essentially, player Shadows will continue to exist as long as a Legend is alive, making for a war of attrition to hunt down the other side's Legend. Perhaps more intriguing is that Shadows can wall-run, much like Titanfall's Pilots.

Apex Legends' Fight or Fright Event will run until November 3rd. Season 6 will be concluding on November 10th so expect more details on the next Season – and playable Legend – soon. There's also the Apex Legends Champion Edition that will go live once Season 7 starts – learn more about that here.