Thrustmaster T.Racing Scuderia Ferrari Edition Gaming Headset Review

While most headset manufacturers are weighing up the options between copying Bose and Sony or trying to imagine what an alien's pair of headphones might look like, Thrustmaster are doing things a bit differently. Always keen to give you the most realistic experience while gaming, whether you're flying a jumbo jet, or trying to keep a rally car on the twisty and narrow, that desire for realism now extends to what you put on your head.

After their Air Force flavoured T.Flight, the newest addition to their headset line-up is the revamped T.Racing Scuderia Ferrari Edition, with a vibrant red styling that lets you look like you're taking a quick break from an F1 pit-lane. Whether you're a racing fan, or you just like the colour red, the Thrustmaster T.Racing is as successfully styled as a Schumacher is good at racing.

The T.Racing isn't a direct match to the current headsets used by the Ferrari F1 team, but they're clearly influenced by them. Bright red plastic housing around each earpiece is topped off by the instantly recognisable Ferrari logo, and the proportions and curvature of those earpieces mimics what you can see down the pit lane on a race weekend. There's also a chunky volume control knob at the top of the left earpiece which is gloriously easy to find in the midst of a hectic gaming session, and that's all of the controls you're going to find on the headset itself.

The other controls can be found on the inline controller a short way down the audio cable, which is also fitted with spring section that made me feel a little like I'd got the old home phone I grew up with attached to my head. The dinky little box includes the switch for muting the microphone and a mic volume dial for getting the mix just right. It's as good for hearing your Forza 7 pit crew natter away as it is for hearing the screams as you let your fireteam down in Destiny 2.

Oddly, despite looking like the type of headphones that are going to protect your ears when you've put your head inside an internal combustion engine, they have virtually no passive noise cancellation. Without any audio running through them you can hear the outside world with very little trouble, which is pretty disappointing when you're expecting the opposite. Listening to music with them on while writing this review, I can hear the clacking of the keys during quieter moments – they're almost as open as a pair of open-back headphones.

Still, blocking everything out isn't always what people are looking from in their headphones and the T.Racing benefits from a pleasingly wide soundstage that gives audio room to breathe. The overall audio response is very balanced. There's no overwhelming bass, while the top end is clear and distinct without becoming too sharp. It's a solid all-rounder, and while it lacks the magic you'll experience with the top-end of the gaming spectrum, it's a good companion for all of your content, particularly in its sub-£100 price bracket.

Gunship's synthwave tuneage sounded excellent, while an evening of NFL action this past Sunday allowed me to pick out all of the details of the commentary alongside the crunching action. It was of course a prerequisite to test the T.Racing with a batch of racing games and from F1 2020 on Stadia to Forza Horizon 4 the engine sounds, and Horizon's excellent soundtrack, were perfectly reproduced.

The refreshed T.Racing now includes a one year subscription to DTS Headphone X, giving Xbox and PC players another option on the 3D audio front. Given that you can already make use of either Windows Sonic as standard, or pick up Dolby Atmos access for a single payment, getting a one year unlock feels like a real nickel and dime job, but once you've hooked up the DTS Unbound app on your Xbox, it does at least do a good job of recreating a three dimensional audio space.

A few rounds of the excellent Gears 5 Horde mode became even more intense as you can pick out Locust rushing around on your periphery, and it certainly avoids the overly-airy effect some virtual surround offerings produce. Still, I'm not entirely convinced you'll be renewing the sub after one year.

If you're going to play a few rounds of whichever multiplayer poison you favour, you'll be needing a decent microphone and the T.Racing has you covered. For one thing the mic arm is removable – a gold standard in my book – or you can angle it up out of the way. It's also possibly the strongest flexible mic arm I've come across; once you have this thing set it's not going anywhere. In use the uni-directional microphone picks up exactly what you want it to, providing clear audio for all of those important things you have to say about people's mums.

It's a real pleasure to wear the T.Racing thanks to the excellent level of comfort that Thrustmaster have built in. The huge ear cushions are filled with cooling gel – one of my favourite advances in headset technology – and they're big enough that you won't experience any unwanted ear pain or pressure. The headband itself is covered with soft leatherette, and while there isn't a huge piece of foam beneath it, there's more than enough to keep you playing for many hours.

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – how to survive Gyozen's Curse

If you've been playing Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, then you may have noticed the trio of bonus challenges attached to each of co-op mode's two-player story missions.

In order to squeeze as many rewards out of each Legends run you'll need to complete the same three optional objectives (only available on silver tier difficulty or higher). These include finding one of Gyozen's lost scrolls, recovering an Oni Treasure, and surviving Gyozen's Curse.

Even after completing all of the Legends missions, there's a chance you might have missed how to trigger Gyozen's Curse. This quick guide will explain exactly what the curse is and how you can overcome it to earn some extra loot while playing Ghost of Tsushima online.

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Guide – 7 tips & tricks for beginners

If you've been playing Ghost of Tsushima: Legends (or wandering the island as Jin Sakai) you'll have likely encountered Gyozen the storyteller. He serves as your gateway between the solo and co-op modes the game has to offer, recounting tales of demon scourges and ancient battles. Here's a fun bit of trivia – he's voiced by Greg Baldwin who many will recognise as Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – how to survive Gyozen's Curse

First, you need to know how to trigger Gyozen's Curse – this isn't made very clear in-game and is easy to miss. Each story mission is split into three stages separated by portal-like torii gates. As you pass through them, it prompts a kind of interactive loading screen as you walk down a corridor and through another gate.

Once per mission you'll find two shrines next to this second gate. You can activate them (this requires two players) to activate Gyozen's Curse. But what does it do?

The curse will create a bond between you and your partner, slowly draining your health if you move too far apart. Additionally, if one of you respawns then the curse will fail. So, in order to survive Gyozen's Curse you will need to complete one area while it's active, co-ordinating with your ally and making sure you don't get separated during those tougher combat encounters.

It adds an extra layer of challenge though the pay-off isn't all that great. At the mission complete screen you'll earn some extra Blessing – Legends most valuable currency. If you're regularly modifying gear and re-rolling stats then the extra Blessing will help with this.

Ghost of Tsushima Guides & more from TheSixthAxis

Dead By Daylight update 2.04 improves graphics and Pyramid Head

It's feels like a strange thing to be typing, but Pyramid Head – Silent Hill's relentless, gore-soaked executioner – has been rebalanced in a video game update.

Changes made to the gaming horror icon are one of the highlights of the latest Dead By Daylight update which went live earlier today.

This brings the game up to version 4.3.0 which will display as 2.04 if you happen to be plugged into the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One versions of Dead By Daylight.

There's a shopping list of changes to get through – developer Behaviour Interactive have a handy portal where you can view the latest patch, as per the system you're playing on whether it be PC, Stadia, Switch, and more.

Pyramid Head has been simultaneously nerfed and buffed as part of this mid-chapter update. Behaviours Interactive note that players have had a hard time landing his special power while others have been winding it up, only to feint into a cheeky basic attack.

Will Dead By Daylight get bots on PC & consoles?

Other changes include a visual update to improve the appearance of some assets and video effects.

Dead By Daylight recently entered it latest chapter "Descend Beyond" which introduced The Blight as a new playable killer. Looking further into the future, Behaviour have confirmed that players will get a free next-gen upgrade on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

We've listed the latest Dead By Daylight patch notes in full below. In the meantime, keep an eye out for upcoming re-review of the game.

Dead By Daylight Update 2.04 Patch Notes

THE EXECUTIONER BALANCE UPDATE

At the moment, the cost of missing a Punishment of the Damned attack is too high, and it's too easy to fake Rites of Judgement into a basic attack. The following adjustments address these issues.

  • After cancelling Rites of Judgement:
  • Movement speed is 3.68 m/s for 1 second
  • Further attacks cannot be made for 1 second
  • Cooldown before further attacks after Punishment of the Damned reduced from 2.75 seconds to 2.25 seconds

Perks:

  • Trail of Torment: Undetectable now lasts until the affected Generator stops regressing or a Survivor is injured or put into the dying state by any means
  • Forced Penance: Broken Status effect lasts 60/70/80 seconds
  • Blood Pact: Haste bonus is now 5%/6%/7%, and lasts until the Survivors are no longer within 16 meters of each other

Perk Updates:

  • Any Means Necessary now awards Bloodpoints when used, and its cooldown has been reduced to 100/80/60 seconds
  • For the People now awards Bloodpoints when used
  • Thanataphobia no longer affects healing speed, and its penalties have been increased to 4%/4.5%/5%
  • Mindbreaker's effect now lasts 3/4/5 seconds
  • Cruel Limits's range has been increased to 32 meters
  • Slippery Meat no longer affects Bear Trap escapes, and now increases hook escape attempt probabilities by 2%/3%/4%. These escape attempt percentages are additive, i.e. with this perk the chance of escaping the hook is now 6%/7%/8%
  • Discordance now has limited range of 32/64/96 meters. It triggers one loud noise for a Generator when it's first marked. The aura of the Generator remains visible as long as the conditions are fulfilled. From the time the conditions are no longer fulfilled, the aura remains for another 8 seconds
  • Hex: Huntress Lullaby now only affects healing and repairing skill checks
  • Technician now prevents all Generator explosions from missed skill checks. The Generator loses and additional 5%/4%/3% progress for missed skill checks
  • Pop Goes the Weasel now lasts 35/40/45 seconds
  • We're Gonna Live Forever now increases healing speed by 100% when healing a Survivor in the dying state. Players now gain a token when rescuing a Survivor by stunning the Killer with a pallet or blinding them with a flashlight

Generator Terminology changes and clarifications:

  • A Generator losing progress over time is "regressing"
  • Putting a Generator into the regressing state is "damaging the Generator"
  • If a Generator loses some of its progress immediately, this is "losing progress"
  • A blocked Generator cannot change its progress
  • A blocked Generator retains its regression state, but no progress is lost until it is no longer blocked
  • A regressing Generator can lose progress due to other effects
  • e.g. a Generator affected by Ruin can still lose progress due to Surge
  • Surge, Pop Goes the Weasel, and Overcharge have had their text updated to reflect these changes

Visual Update:

  • Visual updates to maps in The MacMillan Estates Realm.
  • Visual update to Lockers.
  • Added Footstep VFX.
  • Visual update to all Blood VFX. On Screen Blood, Blood squirt on hit, Blood pool decals.
  • Updated VFX for Trapper, Wraith and Hillbilly.
  • Updated dissolve VFX in-game and in-lobbies.

4K UI Icons

  • Updated Character portraits and customization icons for better resolution at 4K. This may result in your custom icons being replaced when you update.

Perk rarity:

All perks now have the same rarity:

  • Tier 1: Uncommon
  • Tier 2: Rare
  • Tier 3: Very Rare

BUG FIXES

System:

  • Disabled daily rituals screen and claiming while in Custom Game
  • Disabled audio sounds while being in the platform's store after proceeding from the In-game Store
  • Added the player Cloud ID in the soft ban pop-up

Gameplay:

  • Fixed an issue that might cause a survivor to remain in the being carried position after being hooked
  • Fixed an issue that might cause players to have less control on their character after being unhooked
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Cursed effect to appear before any token is earned on the perk Hex: Huntress Lullaby
  • Fixed an issue that might cause Hex totems to appear as dull totems for some players
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Make Your Choice perk to override a survivor's Calm Spirit while unhooking
  • Fixed an issue that caused failed skill check animations to continue after a player lets go of the interaction button
  • Fixed an issue that caused the survivor to hold the Deathslinger's chain with one hand after holding and dropping an item
  • Fixed an issue that might cause players to receive the Torment effect at random times when playing against The Executioner
  • Fixed an issue that caused survivors in the Cage of Atonement not to cause instant death if the remaining survivors are in the struggle phase
  • Fixed an issue that caused The Oni's Blood Orbs to spawn too far from survivors

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The Killer will sometimes see an incorrect animation during the start of match camera pan.

Source: Dead By Daylight

2K promise unskippable pre-game adverts "will be fixed" in NBA 2K21

NBA 2K21 courted controversy in an all-too-familiar fashion this week, as gamers found themselves confronted with unskippable adverts while NBA 2K21 loaded in a match, framed as part of a TV broadcast-style pre-game show.

This caused uproar amongst players who had already forked out $60 / £55 to $100 / £85 for the game, pushing 2K Games to issue a statement over the matter.

The statement reads:

As many are aware, in recent years ads have been integrated into 2KTV segments. Yesterday's 2KTV ad placement impacted our players' experience in a way we didn't intend, as these ads are not meant to run as part of the pre-game introduction.

This will be fixed in future episodes.

Thanks for your continued feedback.

Which is all fine and dandy, but highlights how there's a cycle of predictable controversy that surrounds the NBA series and pre-game advertisements. The game launched on 4th September for PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC, and 2K waited around 6 weeks, until after the typical review window of the game, to insert adverts into their faux TV show game intros.

For NBA 2K19, they waited until June (per Gamerant) and the twilight of the game's relevance before they did this, but for last year's NBA 2K20, this kerfuffle kicked off at the end of October (per Comicbook). I don't know about you, but that seems pretty damn intentional, and it clearly follows in the footsteps of the last several years worth of games.

You can see the current implementation, as captured by Stevivor over the weekend:

I guess someone slipped while coding the loading screens?

It comes just a month after EA pulled a similar move in UFC 4, inserting adverts into the transitions around replays, before removing them after backlash from players.

It also adds to the criticism of 2K's efforts to monetise their dominant sports franchise beyond the initial sticker price. NBA 2K has long had microtransactions that have gone beyond cosmetics and can tie into the player and character progression across all modes through the overarching Virtual Currency. Some years strike a decent balance between earning VC though play and pay, and others fail to do so. Then there was the whole advert that was specifically made to look like gambling scandal.

2K were also the first to announce a price hike for their game series while heading to the next generation, and decided not to offer players an upgrade path from the current generation, paid or otherwise. Instead, the only way to get the next-gen upgrade included with your current-gen game was to buy the Mamba Forever edition at £84.99. It should be acknowledged that the next-gen version has been rebuilt from the ground up and offers significant changes to the game's visuals, animation, presentation, and more. 2K might have to work a little bit harder to integrate adverts when loading screens will be so much shorter, though.

NBA 2K21 is out now for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC and Stadia. It's coming to Xbox Series X|S on 10th November, and PlayStation 5 on 12th or 19th November depending on your region.

Source: twitter

Rocket League update 1.85 & Ghostbusters Halloween event announced

Rocket League (which recently went free-to-play) is celebrating Halloween in style this year, offering players the chance to net some Ghostbusters themed goodies as part of its Haunted Hallows event.

Starting today (and running through til November 3rd) you'll be able to unlock a cluster of spooky cosmetics for your vehicle all based on the popular film franchise.

These goodies include a Slimer roof attachment, as well as Mood Slime boost and Golden Pumpkins containing items from the Turbo, Nitro and Vindicator series. Ecto-1 will also be returning this year and will be up for grabs via the Rocket League marketplace.

As with the previous Fornite crossover event, you will need to complete a series of themed challenges in order to get this Ghostbusters swag. Alongside these rewards there are two limited time game modes to participate in including Haunted Heatseeker and Spike Rush.

That's not the only bit of Rocket League news coming your way. Developer Psyonix have also released their newest update for the popular footie/racing hybrid, bringing version 1.83 to all platforms.

Rocket League Update 1.85 Patch Notes

NEW CONTENT

Blueprints

  • Season 1 Series Blueprints are now available as drops after online matches

CHANGES AND UPDATES

Tournaments

  • Changed behavior of the Leave Tournament button

    • Once a teammate votes to leave during a match, the 'Leave Tournament' button will turn red

    • At the end of a match, the Leave Tournament button will not be usable until you reach the post-match screen. Disabling the button during the podium, progression, and drop screens will ensure you do not leave the tournament early enough to receive a temporary Tournament Ban

  • Removed time limit on Tournament Finals Series

General

  • Adjusted coloring on Free and Premium Challenges

BUG FIXES

General

  • [Xbox One] Fixed the bloom intensity on several different Wheels

  • Corrected stat tracking for double demolitions

  • Fixed trade status of several non-Common items

  • Bots joining a match in progress will use Boost as normal

  • Fixed several bugs preventing Challenges Menu navigation and Challenge claiming

  • Removed shading covering scoreboard during goal replays

  • Fixed a bug causing another player's Accolades to show on the post-match screen

Source: Rocket League

Google Stadia is packing in three days of exclusive demos everyone can try – starting now!

Starting as of this moment – that's 5pm on Tuesday the 20th of October – Google's Stadia is making a play for new users, and pleasing its current ones, by hosting three days of exclusive demos.

To get us started you can check out PAC MAN Mega Tunnel Battle right now. Mega Tunnel Battles is a head-to-head 64 player battle royale featuring your favourite yellow dot muncher, and introduces a host of new power-ups, character customisation and different mazes. Pac Man Mega Tunnel Battles launches first on Googles Stadia on the 17th of November.

Day two on the 21st of October brings with it the Humankind beta. This historical, turn based strategy game allows you to rewrite history, moulding the growth of humanity in your own image. I assume that means you can continue worshipping cats for as long as you like, before going to war with the dog faction in the twentieth century.

Finally, on Thursday the 22nd of October, Stadia users will be treated to the much-vaunted demo for Immortals Fenyx Rising. One of Ubisoft's big hitters this winter, Immortals Fenyx Rising casts you as Fenyx, a new winged Demi-god who's off to protect the Greek gods from a dark curse.

Formally known as Gods and Monsters, the game has more than a hint of Breath of the Wild about it – or Genshin Impact if you're so inclined – and it certainly looks like it could be a lot of fun. The Stadia demo is exclusive to the platform and takes in Aphrodite's region, featuring new content from what's already been seen of the game.

Each demo is going to be available for seven days, so you've got one week from when they go live to have your fill. New users don't have to make any payments or take a Pro subscription, everything is gratis.

Today's Stadia news also includes the release date announcement for Jedi Fallen Order, which will be joining the streaming service on November 24th, and details of another First on Stadia game in the shape of Hello Engineer, a machinery-building construction game set in the Hello Neighbour universe.

PUBG Update 9.1 will let Xbox One X, PS4 Pro and next-gen consoles play at up to 60fps

Update 9.1 for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is going into testing on the Public Test Servers and brings with it the usual swathe of tweaks, bug fixes and new content to try out. However, it also brings a major change for owners of the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro: you'll now be able to play at 1080p with a frame cap of 60FPS.

All players and owners of PUBG on console can test this out by downloading the separate PTS client.

For Xbox:

You can search and download the "PUBG – Public Test Server" on the Microsoft Store or the 'My Games and Apps' menu.

For PS4:

You can find the "PUBG – Public Test Server" in the 'Purchased' section of your Library.

I'm sure that PUBG players that own either of these consoles are thinking one thing: "FINALLY!" PUBG has always tried to maintain a level playing field with a 30FPS cap across all consoles, using the added power of the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro to push higher resolutions – 2160p and 1440p respectively. However, PUBG has never had what could be called good performance, with a lot of hitching and stutter present, even if the frame rate is generally at the 30FPS level.

Update 9.1 adds a new Framerate Priority setting that will let you choose to lower the screen resolution to 1080p and lift the frame cap to 60 FPS. We'll have to wait on some benchmarks and testing to establish how effective this actually ends up being, though. While clocked higher than the original consoles of the generation, the Jaguar architecture CPU of the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro can still be a limiting factor for frame rates, depending on the demands that a game makes.

However, even if the current consoles can't manage 1080p60, you can almost be sure that the next-gen consoles can. Both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will be able to leverage their additional power to boost frame rates and stabilise dynamic resolutions of backward compatible games, regardless of whether a game has direct support for the platforms or not. Xbox Series S will not be able to take advantage of this, as it will be running the game in base Xbox One made, though it should manage to steady the ship at 1080p30.

Update 9.1 also adds Paramo, a new and dynamic map location  set in South America. It's a 3×3 map, but has the unique hook that it's a "dynamic" map. This means that landmarks and terrain can move from one match to another, and the lighting can change to be evocative of the active volcano. Speaking of which, there's streams of lava that will deal 10 damage per second and will wreck the tyres of any vehicle you drive through it.

Head to the PUBG news blog for more details on the new content coming to PUBG in Update 9.1.

Source: PUBG

Share Factory Studio for PS5 revealed by new PlayStation Store update

A new version of SHAREfactory is coming to the PlayStation 5, as revealed by an entry found in the new browser-based PlayStation Store. Dubbed 'Share Factory Studio' it promises to be an enhance video editing experience, tapping into the more ambitious sounding Create button on the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller.

ResetEra user Toumari captured the above image, while others snapped the description

Share Factory Studio beefs up the technical functionality compared to the PlayStation 4 version of the software, now allowing for capture and editing of game footage and screenshots in 4K and with HDR colours. Screenshots can be modified in a Photo Editor. You'll then be able to modify this with stickers, text, sound effects, filters, camera effects and more.

Interestingly, you'll now be able to import your own videos, images, music and sound effects from a USB drive, which will add a lot of possibilities for end users to use this as a much broader editing suite compared to the PlayStation 4 equivalent that allows you to put your own personal stamp on the videos you're making.

All of this can then be shared to YouTube – beware of importing copyright material if you do that and wish to monetise the videos – Twitter or to your friends in Party groups, which are collected together in what the PlayStation 5 UI reveal showed was called Game Base.

There's been a lot coming out of Sony's camp around the PlayStation 5 UI reveal last week, which showcased the speed of the system, the Control Centre overlay that provides access to pretty much all system features while in game, the new PlayStation Activites and card-based interface, and more. A part of the change is that the PlayStation Store will be baked into the main system software and not be a separate app.

There have also been other foundational changes made over the last few weeks. The PlayStaiton 4 was updated to system software 8.00 making fundamental changes to how parties and messages work to tie into the new philosophy behind social interactions on PS5 – much to the chagrin of some users – and the standalone PS Messages mobile app is being discontinued as the feature will be integrated back into a new PlayStation App on smartphone.

Source: ResetEra, Twitter

It's showtime in the Balan Wonderworld opening movie

One of the surprises of the summer was the announcement of Balan Wonderworld, a new 3D action platformer from the creators of Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams. Check out the opening movie to the fantasy adventure here:

Balan Wonderworld is coming out on 23rd March 2021 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One (with Smart Delivery), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

The story sees the two protagonists Leo Craig and Emma Cole – by my count that's two characters with three first names – entering a mysterious theatre and meeting Balan, who draws them both into the magical Wonderworld.

The adventure then sees them drawn through the land of Wonderworld, guided by Balan along the way. You'll jump, climb, fly, smash and everything you'll expect from an action platformer, discovering 80 unique costumes that give you new special powers. These include the Rail Runner outfit, which lets you conjure up train tracks to quickly cross long distances and get around obstacles.

Source: press release

Halo: The Master Chief Collection will get a free Xbox Series X|S upgrade with 120fps campaign and multiplayer in November

No, there's no Halo: Infinite for the launch of the Xbox Series X|S, but that doesn't meant there won't be a ton of Halo to play on those new consoles next month. Microsoft have confirmed that there will be a free Xbox Series X|S upgrade for Halo: The Master Chief Collection to take advantage of the huge amount of added power that the new consoles offer.

Those optimisations will enable 120FPS play in both Campaign and Multiplayer, as well as split-screen improvements that allow for up to 4K on Xbox Series X.

The upgrade will be coming for free to existing owners and those with Xbox Game Pass on 17th November.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a huge collection of almost every single first person shooter in the Halo series. Launching back in 2014 for Xbox One, it features Halo 2: Anniversary alongside upgraded ports of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4. That later expanded to include Halo 3: ODST in 2015, and just last year, Halo Reach.

While the campaign gameplay played fine off the bat, the game was hampered by sever multiplayer matchmaking issues for years after release. It was really only with the announcement of the Xbox One X that 343 Industries committed to returning to the game collection, not only to add One X enhancements, but also to revive the game's multiplayer.

Then, in 2019, Microsoft announced the plan to release Halo Reach into the collection and use that game as a starting point to bring the whole Master Chief saga to PC for the first time. Since then we've seen each game tested and released in sequence, up until Halo 3: ODST in September. There's just one piece of the puzzle left in the form of Halo 4, but that's clearly not the end for MCC.

We can add full Xbox Series X|S to list of features planned for later this year.

  • Crossplay
  • Input Based MM
  • Sever Region Selection
  • Custom Game Browser
  • Per Game Graphics Options
  • Per Game Audio Options
  • M&K Support for Xbox
  • PC Fileshare
  • Double Keybinds for all games
  • Viewmodel adjustments for all games
  • In game FPS Cap/Adjustments
  • Steam Account Linking

Crossplay is by far the most exciting element here, letting people team up for co-op or competitive, regardless of their platform. It'll be great for catching up on the series before Infinite finally releases in 2021.

Source: Twitter

Zombie Army 4: Dead War DLC Season Pass 2 starts today with a trip to Damnation Valley

Rebellion are kicking off the second Season Pass for Zombie Army 4: Dead War, starting with the release of Damnation Valley for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia today!

Damnation Valley takes you and whoever you can recruit to join you up to the North to head off the danger posed by a Hell Storm spotted above the Alps. A facility up in the mountains is the setting for the debut mission from the new Death From Above campaign, with the second and third parts set to arrive in the coming months.

Available as part of Season Pass Two or individually, it's joined by the following content:

  • Zombie Gentleman Dress Uniform Character
  • Halloween Headgear Bundle
  • Lee Enfield Rifle Bundle
  • Occult Ritual Weapon Skins
  • Halloween Charm Pack.

Alongside this paid content is a free new Horde map for all players of the game.

The new season pass will continue with a roadmap of content through to early 2021, with the second mission expected in December and the third coming in January. There's obviously plenty of extra gubbins to go alongside, as seen in the content roadmap.

Update: Rebellion have issued a new roadmap to fix a little boo-boo they made in the original.

We had a grand old time with our Zombie Army 4: Dead War review when it came out all the way back in February. With new player abilities and weapon mods, alongside more refined level design, I said:

"If you like shooting zombies with friends, then Zombie Army 4: Dead War is the game for you. There's a few new twists and several layers of progression now thrown into the mix, as you battle undead Nazis once again, but this is classic undead sniping action through and through."

Source: press release

Rainbow Six Siege Y5S3.3 makes new Operator and weapon changes

A new update for Rainbow Six Siege has just gone live on PC, ushering in a new wave of midseason changes for the popular tactical shooter.

The Rainbow Six Siege Y5S3.3 update includes a number of balancing tweaks for various Operators and weapons while also squeezing in a list of bug fixes and other in-game improvements.

Ubisoft have confirmed that the Year 5 Season 3 patch will be rolling out later this week on PlayStation 4 though did not specify an exact date or time. Those playing on Xbox One can expect it to drop next Monday on October 26th.

Rainbow Six Siege Y5S3.3 will look to improve the competitive viability of several Operators including Ace, Frost, Glaz, Melusi, and Oryx. Glaz will become more mobile thanks to reductions in movement penalisation and vision recovery time whereas Frost and Melusi get some secondary weapon swap-outs. Ubisoft have also changed how ballistic shields will behave in response to mitigating explosive damage.

Microsoft recently confirmed that Rainbow Six Siege will join Xbox Game Pass. It has also been revealed that Siege will receive a next-gen update on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, boosting performance up to 4K and 120fps. Finally, one more bit of Siege news: fan favourite Operator Tachanka is currently undergoing a major rework and is available to play on the Test Server.

For the full patch notes, see below. Ubisoft has also posted designer notes on the Y5S3.3 update, explaining the motive behind these changes.

Rainbow Six Siege Y5S3.3 Patch Notes

BALANCING

ACE

Ace couldn't handle all the thirst from his fans.

  • Reduced the number of explosive ticks of the SELMA Aqua Breacher to 2 ticks (down from 3).

FROST

Shoot your shot(gun).

  • Added the ITA12S as a secondary weapon.

GLAZ

Lonely Russian sniper looking for some love.

  • Reduced vision recovery time to 0.4s (down from 1s).
  • Reduced movement penalization by 50% to 12s (up from 6s).

MELUSI

  • MP5 primary will replace the T-5. Optics available on the MP5 will be the red dot, holographic, and reflex.

ORYX

  • T-5 primary will replace the MP5. Optics available on the T-5 will be the red dot, holographic, reflex, and scope 1.5x.

BALLISTIC SHIELDS

  • The guard break effect occurs when operators with a ballistic shield are hit by an explosion or take certain types of damage (from a scale of a minimum of 50 to trigger the guard break to 100 damage).
  • The severity of the guard break is proportional to the damage done to the shield. Electric damage and the minimum 50 damage threshold will trigger the minimum strength guard break animation.
  • Melee damage, concussion FX, sonic bursts, and explosions of 100 damage or higher will trigger the the maximum strength guard break animation.
  • Operators positioned behind a Clash, Monty, Blitz, or Fuze are now also partially protected from explosion damage (this still applies even if they are from the opposing team). This protection also applies if the shield is on the operator's back. Damage taken from the explosion is proportionally calculated based on the operator's exposure to the blast.
  • Instead of folding Montagne's Extendable shield, he now as a guard break animation.
  • Shield explosion protection is reduced to 66% (down from 80%).

TCSG12 + ACS12

  • Damage drop-off is now more progressive to reach minimal damage at 50m (instead of 20m).
  • Damage at max range increased to 68% (up from 48%).
  • Suppressor damage penalization normalized to -12.5% regardless of range.

GAMEPLAY UPDATES

  • Changes to the defuser interaction that allow players to pick up the defuser, even in situations where it might have originally been inaccessible, due to falling into difficult-to-reach spaces.
  • Improvements to the chat filter feedback system.
  • The ban ticker has been deactivated for custom games. It will remain visible in all other game modes.

BUG FIXES

  • FIXED – Sometimes defenders spawn on top of each other when in 2nd Floor Master Bedroom on Chalet.
  • FIXED – Players can't vault over the half-wall/railing in 2F Library Stairs on Chalet.
  • FIXED – Dropped defuser can be difficult to recover from behind the table of 2F Cigar Balcony on Kafe.
  • FIXED – (PvE) Barbed wire spawns issues in Situation 10.
  • FIXED – Poor lighting inside the cabinet between sofas in 1F Bar of Chalet.
  • FIXED – Players can use a deployable shield to get to the counter next to the piano on Chalet.
  • FIXED – Zero's Piercing Camera can pierce and see through the ceiling in 1F First Aid on Plane.
  • FIXED – Missing SFX when picking up generic items.
  • FIXED – (PvE) Missing pre-barricaded doors/windows in Heavily Fortified Situation.
  • FIXED – Cancelling a Ranked queue can sometimes trigger an abandon penalty even when the player did not join a match.
  • FIXED – Secondary hard breach gadget's blue light can sometimes be seen through a barricade when deployed on it.
  • FIXED – Residual black smoke is visible after some soft walls in the Basement of Chalet are destroyed.
  • FIXED – Minor map asset issues.

Source: Ubisoft

The new PlayStation Store for PC & mobile is starting to go live

Sony are rolling out a brand-new web and mobile browser version of the PlayStation Store, to coincide with the upcoming launch of the PlayStation 5 and the renewed UI of the company's next-gen console.

Images of the new design and pre-orders for next-gen games that have gone line have been captured by users on Resetera, Reddit and beyond. You can see the general style here:

And there's more in this Imgur repository:

New PlayStation Store PS5 Games

The store is currently available to view in some parts of the world, with a staggered shift on computer from now until 26th October for computer, and then by 28th October on mobile. It adopts a layout and design more in keeping with the main PlayStation.com website.

However, even in areas where the new store design is visible, the work is seemingly unfinished. While we knew that the Wishlist function would be disappearing, store pages also seem to lack file size information and game screenshots, while there's no way to filter listings and a lack of distinction between full games and add-ons.

We expect those functions to reappear over the coming days. Some things that definitely won't be reappearing are games from before the PlayStation 4 era, which are being hidden from view. You will no longer be able to buy the following currently available content from the web store, but can still access purchased content and browse on their respective platforms:

    • PlayStation®3 games and add-ons
    • PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) games and add-ons
    • PlayStation®Vita games and add-ons
    • Apps
    • Themes
    • Avatars

This all comes hot on the heels of the PlayStation 5 UI reveal yesterday, which showcased the speed of the system, the Control Centre overlay that provides access to pretty much all system features while in game, the new PlayStation Activites and card-based interface, and more. A part of the change is that the PlayStation Store will be baked into the main system software and not be a separate app.

There have also been other foundational changes made over the last few weeks. The PlayStaiton 4 was updated to system software 8.00 making fundamental changes to how parties and messages work to tie into the new philosophy behind social interactions on PS5 – much to the chagrin of some users – and the standalone PS Messages mobile app is being discontinued as the feature will be integrated back into a new PlayStation App on smartphone.

Source: Resetera, Reddit

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Guide – 7 tips & tricks for beginners

Ghost of Tsushima has bolstered in size since launching earlier this year, introducing a surprise multiplayer mode that comes with a supernatural twist.

You and up to three other adventurers can tackle a host of co-op challenges in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, showcasing your skills as one of four playable classes.

It's a fun and fairly substantive add-on for Ghost of Tsushima though one that can also be fairly challenging, especially in those first few online battles. Therefore, we've put together a handy guide of tips and tricks to help get a headstart in Legends co-op.

1. Choose your class

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends has four classes at launch, each with their own unique abilities and techniques. They all share the same combat, stealth, and traversal gameplay but are geared towards specific roles. The Samurai is a reliable melee fighter whereas The Hunter excels at ranged combat. The best stealth class is The Assassin while The Ronin fills more of a support role, able to heal and revive their teammates.

You can only choose one class to begin with, unlocking others as you steadily earn experience and rise through the ranks. There is no "best" class though we'd opt for either the Samurai or Ronin to start out as the other two require more precision to use effectively.

2. Understanding the game loop

In Ghost of Tsushima: Legends you start off with two ways to play – the wave-based Survival mode for up to four players and the story-driven Legends which is designed to be experienced in pairs.

Your ultimate goal in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends is to replay missions, earning experience points, gear, and resources as you do so. Your overall power level – or "Ki" – is determined by the gear you have equipped and will unlock new activities and difficulty tiers as the numbers go up.

We'd recommend focusing on one character first, raising your Ki to access endgame content and readying yourself for future challenges. Thankfully, all characters share the same inventory though you'll still need to increase their XP rank if you wish to unlock their individual techniques.

3. Complete side objectives

All modes in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends feature side objectives that allow you to aim for bonus resources and loot drops. In Legends missions you can hunt for Oni treasures and lost scrolls as well as surviving Gyozen's curse to earn these extra rewards.

Meanwhile, Survival mode will present you and the other players with team challenges such as getting a certain number of air assassinations or headshot kills within a time limit. These can be fairly tricky depending on your loadout so coordination is key.

4. How to heal

Constantly finding yourself with little to no health? It might be worth checking if you have the recommended Ki before entering a match as higher level enemies will be way more lethal and harder to kill.

Two ways to restore your health (regardless of class) are the healing drums and offerings found throughout each map. You can only use them once so don't waste them, especially when triggering drums – these are designed to be healing zones for your entire team.

You can also equip a healing flask, one of the available blessings in Survival being a health regen ability. Some class powers can also be modified to have a healing effect with the Ronin being Ghost of Tsushima's medic.

5. Finding the best Gear

You will always earn gear that is level appropriate when playing Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. So, if you're playing a gold tier mission then don't worry about picking up useless, underpowered items.

However, the best loadout in Legends will depend on your chosen class and personal playstyle. Samurai players will want gear stats that increase their defence and melee renown gains while Ronin may want to amp up their healing and crowd control effects.

You can dismantle any unwanted gear to earn Essence, Honor, and Blessings. These currencies can be spent to reroll stats and perks on gear, giving you the chance to turn undesirable loot into something that slots perfectly into your loadout.

6. Bombs or bows?

I have to admit that I rarely used bombs when playing as Jin Sakai in Ghost of Tsushima's singleplayer story. Here in Legends, however, they easily outrank the bow as the co-op mode's best ranged weapon.

Whether up close or from afar, they can stun enemies while dealing a decent amount of damage. What makes them particularly lethal is their blast radius, hitting multiple targets at once without requiring precision aiming.

7. Survival Mode tips & tricks

Here we have some extra tips and tricks for those playing Survival mode. Firstly, in order to squeeze as many points and rewards from each match you'll want to cover all three control zones. It's easy to develop tunnel vision and focus on where the first wave of enemies spawn at the beginning of a round. However, you need to pay close attention to when red flares light up the sky, signalling another patrol and one that typically rushes towards an unguarded control point.

To keep the hordes at bay you need to traverse the map as quickly as possible. This is where your grappling hook comes in handy, allowing you to zip between areas of the battlefield, as long as you know where to look, memorising the fastest routes possible.

During the downtime in between rounds you should be looking for explosive red barrels. Carry these and drop them in the centre of a capture zone or, even better, place them at chokepoints. When these go boom they deal out huge damage with a wide radius. Be careful not to waste them on early rounds.

Finally, try to optimise your team composition. Having four Assassins or four Hunters will ensure a high damage output though you'll lack substantive crowd control or healing.

Ghost of Tsushima Guides & more from TheSixthAxis

One Finger Death Punch 2 Review

One Finger Death Punch 2 is a 2D kung fun game that uses only two buttons. Just two buttons are all that you'll need to punch, deflect bullets, and shoot lasers like an amalgamation of every action hero after the loss of a loved one. If you've ever wanted to be a stick figure who can breakdance a group of people to death or catch bullets out of the air, then this is perhaps the only game for you.

The game begins at a surprisingly leisurely pace as it introduces you to its mechanics, which initially seem far too simple. Enemies will run towards you from the left and right sides of the screen and, once they're within range, you press the relevant bumper and your little stick figure dude will hit them. Easy. Then the game introduces green enemies that require more than one hit to go down, then blue enemies that swap sides after each hit, enemies that throw weapons or shoot at you, which can be either blocked, dodged, caught, or deflected depending on what colour they are, and it all starts to feel a bit more complex. Then it introduces enemies that have their own little mini-games and bosses that go through random combination of three of all of these gameplay elements in a row.

It certainly looks incredibly impressive on screen, as your character jumps and kicks like it's a fight scene from the Matrix whilst legions of stick figures fall before him. The 2D buildings in the background are destroyed as you fight only to be replaced by more ill-fated constructions, but you barely even register how badass it looks because this game is somehow so gripping that all you can see is the next enemy.

After you're done with the tutorials, the game starts to speed up and by the end of the first map of the campaign you'll be completing all of the above in random combinations without skipping a beat, because if you skip that beat you'll get a face full of fists almost immediately. It really does get incredibly fast at times, but thankfully the game is pretty forgiving, allowing you ten misses and five hits before you need to restart the level. Of course, there's a star rating of your performance that will drive you to seek perfection.

The pace is mercifully broken up a bit by a wide variety of absurd abilities that can trigger. These serve not only as a brief reprieve from the flood of enemies, but as a special attack as well. Laser eyes, for example, briefly halt the action whilst you grab an enemy and shoot lasers from your eyes through the skull of every enemy on that side of the screen. These moves are satisfying to watch and incredibly useful, so it's a good job there's a skill system that lets you increase how often they happen.

If you complete missions that are away from the main pathways on the map you can unlock revenge tokens and skill points. The former can be used to make a level a bit easier if you're struggling to finish it, whilst the latter can be invested in a wide variety of skills that increase how often the abilities are triggered. If you like those laser eyes, you can invest up to three skills points to ensure it happens as often as possible, or if you're prone to getting hit, then maybe a shield or even a medic could appear, or maybe you love guns and you want some more ammo when you happen to get one.

These all help you through the long campaign, which thankfully features a handful of different modes. There's simple things, like multi-rounds, which – get this – are split into multiple rounds, but then there's some stranger ones too, like the one that gives you a power sword (which is a lightsaber, if we're being truly honest) for the whole level and a few hundred enemies to tear down, or the Horror Show mode, which only counts kills if they happen in front of the booby traps in the background. There are a tonne of levels in the campaign and, whilst it does get a little repetitive, it has that quality that demands you play one more level. Obviously you then end up playing another six.

On top the the campaign, there are also a few extra modes, including a survival mode, a local multiplayer mode for some friendly cooperative beatings, and even a mode called No Luca No where you're playing the game as normal, but occasionally a cat blocks half the screen and you have to move it out of the way with the analog stick. These modes aren't as varied as the main campaign but they'll be good for showing the game to friends once they've played the tutorials.

I have encountered one recurring bug where suddenly I'm unable to attack left, but it seems to be fixed by simply pausing and unpausing the game.

The Division 2 patch 1.28 includes Title Update 11.1 Summit overhaul

Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment have released their newest patch for Tom Clancy loot-shooting sequel, The Division 2.

Those playing on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will need to download and install patch 1.28 in order to log-in and play The Division 2. Officially referred to as Title Update 11.1, the patch includes a number of fixes and quality of life changes while also improving the game's recently introduced Summit co-op mode.

The Summit officially made its way into The Division 2 last month on September 22nd and is available to all agents who have hit level 40. Designed with replayability in mind, you and three companions will need to battle enemy waves as you attempt to conquer The Summit's 100 floors, earning powerful loot along the way.

In The Division Title Update 11.1, Massive are looking to make some changes to this new mode. You can review the patch notes in full below.

The Division 2 Title Update 11.1 Patch Notes

The Summit

Developer comment: With the TU11.1 changes to The Summit, we are addressing topics brought up by the community including difficulty, directives and targeted loot. We want to fulfill the player fantasy of climbing from floor 1 to 100 with customized challenge and rewards.

Difficulty & Directives
When interacting with the lobby elevator, players will be able to select their desired difficulty and directives

  • All Difficulties are selectable: Normal – Legendary

  • For Directives, players are able to select from all 9 released Directives

    • Developer comment: We advise limiting yourself to 5 active Directives; use more at your own risk

    • NOTE: Missions and Global Difficulty still have the 5 seasonal directives

The New Summit Experience

Players can now ascend their customized Summit at their own pace.

  • With TU11.1, all players will initially start at floor 1 of The Summit

  • Progress is now saved more frequently at each elevator players encounter

    • Instead of the old Rally Points, now Players will resume where they left on subsequent playthroughs.

    • This means that you can stop at floor 38. Then the next day continue from the elevator at floor 37.

  • After players finish floor 100, on their next Summit attempt they will restart at floor 1

  • NOTE: for coop we save the maximum of your previous checkpoint and your current session

    • Example: player previously had a save at floor 60, they matchmake and finish floor 95 with a group, on their next playthrough the player would continue at the elevator on floor 93.

    • Example: player previously had a save at floor 81, they matchmake and finish floor 34 with a group, on their next playthrough the player would continue at the elevator on floor 81.

Targeted Loot

At any point while in The Summit, players can open the Mega-Map and set their personal Targeted Loot

  • For their allocation players can select from weapon types, gear slots, mods, brands, gear sets.

  • The Targeted Loot selection within Summit is personal (which means each player in a group of 4 could have a different allocation chosen)

Threat Scaling

The higher players climb in The Summit, the more likely they are to encounter tougher enemies.

  • The chance for enemies to spawn as veteran or elite gradually increases per floor.

  • Lieutenant Squads occur more frequently as you ascend The Summit.

  • The Boss floors (10, 20, 30,…,90) feature multiple named hostiles on higher floors.

Additional Gameplay Improvements

  • Added a weekly project for finishing Summit (which along with other rewards grants an Exotic Cache)

  • Added more objective types

  • Quicker laptop interact animation

  • Adjusted spawning of enemies during Hack Terminals objectives

  • Holding SHD Crates is more beneficial

  • Added new UI notifications about Exotic Fireteams, Bosses, etc.

Directives

  • Directives now increase the chance for Targeted Loot to drop

    • Since introduced in TU6, Targeted Loot has been influenced by a number of factors (including difficulty).

    • Now with TU11.1, each active Directive adds a small amount to the total drop chance for Targeted Loot.

    • This applies everywhere Directives are present (missions, open world, summit).

    • NOTE: Directives still increase XP as well.

  • Increased cooldown reduction per Skill Part collected with Scavenged Skills Directive.

  • Fixed issue causing Fragile Armor's broken stacks to behave strangely after dying and being revived.

Targeted Loot

  • Added individual Targeted Loot Allocations for each Gear Set

    • This applies both to the normal rotation and to Summit's Personal Targeted Loot

    • Ex: Lincoln can have True Patriot

Gear

  • Ridgeway's Pride exotic

    • For first part of exotic quest, parts now drop based on Summit floor numbers and increased drop chance of parts

    • For third part of exotic quest, lowered number of Rogue Agents and Hunters that need to be killed to 2

    • Increased radiuses of Bleeding Edge talent to 15m

    • Increased repair strength of Bleeding Edge talent to 1: 3%, 2: 6%, 3: 12%, 4: 24%, 5: 48% (per bleeding enemy within radius)

PvP

  • These PvP balance changes affect both the DZ and Conflict:

    • Decreased overall time to kill by 10%

    • Decreased shotgun damage by 12.5%

    • Increased damage to shields by 25%

  • Fixed issue in Conflict which caused the Firewall specialization's flamethrower to deal an excessive amount of damage.

Bug Fixes

The Summit

  • Fixed loot crates not resetting if encountered twice in a session.

  • Restored the ability to select Matchmake without reloading

  • Mega-Map now has correct tabs (Projects/Manhunt/SHD)

  • Improved loot from final 100th Floor enemy

  • Swapped doors to be windowless in various spots

  • Legendary Black Tusk have been taught how to hold guns properly

  • Improvements to an issue that could cause the 100th floor to note complete after killing all enemies

  • Fixed an issue where agents could fall through the map and become stuck between the elevators

  • Fixed an issue causing legendary Black Tusk to sometimes appear on difficulties they should not be in

  • Fixed occurrences of enemies not leaving their spawn closets.

  • Fixed the objective requirements for Toxic Gas remaining on screen after a group member interacts with the laptop

  • Fixed a loot room that could not be interacted with

  • Fixes occurrences of enemies incorrectly spawning in parts of the floor that have already been cleared

  • Fixed the lobby voice over triggering when returning to the lobby

  • Fixed "Neutralize the Lieutenant" objective sometimes choosing a non-named NPC as the Lieutenant

  • Fixed an issue where a controller button had double functionality on the mega map

  • Fixed an issue where the player could get stuck in the spectate mode screen after switching camera from another player

  • Various UI & Map fixes

Other

  • Fixed enemies sometimes being unreachable in the Grand Washington Hotel

  • Fixed an issue causing the SHD level notification UI to not work

  • Fixed an issue in the Operation Iron Horse raid where RPGs could stop dropping if disconnected or fast travels out of the raid when having one equipped

  • Fixed an issue which occurred when the player dropped down from an object in combat causing the agent to be pushed forward then back

  • Fixed an issue causing group members to have no ammo when the group leader activated the Pistolero directive in the Dark Zone

  • Fixed Global Event modifiers not working as intended on Legendary difficulty.

Source: Reddit

Fall Guys update 1.10 increases probability of Medieval rounds

Developer Mediatonic have rolled out their latest game update for Fall Guys which is now available on PlayStation 4 and PC.

You'll need to download Fall Guys version 1.10 to dive back into the ultimate showdown, this new patch making a number of season 2 fixes.

You can read more about the changes made in the list below. In the meantime, Mediatonic have launched a new issues tracking site via Trello allowing the community to see what Fall Guys bugs the team are working on.

Fall Guys Seasons 2 easy XP and rewards guide

As for Fall Guys 1.10, there have been a small cluster of improvements including a higher probability of medieval themed rounds turning up. These were introduced as part of Fall Guys season 2, including Wall Guys, Hoopsie Legends, Knight Fever, and Egg Siege.

Fall Guys Update 1.10 Patch Notes

  • Party members show first in Spectator Mode
  • Jump Showdown speed issues have been fixed
  • Hex-A-Gone VFX clarity improvements
  • We've redone the floor colours in Hex-A-Gone
  • Tip Toe VFX clarity improvements
  • Improved the performance issues in Hex-A-Gone which were causing a few FPS drops
  • We've fixed an issue where players would be disconnected during the countdown phase – Should hopefully reduce disconnections
  • Higher probability of the Medieval rounds turning up
  • Lower probability of Nicknames and Nameplates in the regular store section

Source: Reddit

In case you missed it, here's everything introduced in Fall Guys season 2:

  • New Feature –  The Show Selector: Time-Limited Shows give players new ways to enjoy their favourite rounds types by selecting which Show they want to play!
  • New Feature –  Nameplates: Mix and Match customisable Banners and Nameplates to compliment your Fall Guy's attire!
  • New Feature –  Random Outfit Generator: Press triangle on the customiser screen until you get a combination of items you like!
  • Improvement – See your party members fall alongside you while waiting for matchmaking to complete.
  • Improvement – Fall Guys now have more responsive mantling up ledges.
  • Improvement – Visual updates to many levels
  • New Level –  Knight Fever:  Our hardest gauntlet level yet.
  • New Level –  Wall Guys:  Cooperate with other players to traverse castle walls.
  • New Level –  Egg Siege: A brand new Egg Scramble map with moving drawbridges!
  • New Level –  Hoopsie Legends: A Solo Hoopsie Round with moveable blocks.
  • Plethora of new customisation options – costumes, faceplates, colour palettes, emotes, and celebrations.
  • Many bug fixes and optimisations.

After launching in August, Fall Guys quickly became the most-downloaded title to ever feature on PlayStation Plus, picking up a fantastically fumbly 8/10 in our review.

Football Manager 2021 new features previewed in latest trailer

A new, much quieter football season is upon us, and with it has come the usual array of yearly sports games – well, almost. FIFA 21 might have copied some of Football Manager's homework, but that's not stopped Sports Interactive from forging ahead with new features and gameplay changes to their popular management sim.

Coming out on 24th November for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, here's a trailer for Football Manager 2021 and its new features:

The game promises more control than ever before in managing your team to championship after championship. There's more analysis and information for you to pour over, while interactions with players and the media aim to be much truer to real life, right down to your body language. The overall game presentation has been revised as well as having new pre-match and post-match events.

You'll also have more control over which players to target for transfers, and come the end of a season, you'll get to decide how to celebrate any success you've had.

That's all about the PC version of the game, but console players will also expect to see a number of tweaks and changes to the game. For the first time in a long time, Football Manager 21 will be coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S. That version of the game is based on Football Manager Touch 21, though, which simplifies certain elements to be more… manageable on controller and touch screens. It's also coming to PC, Switch and mobile devices on 24th November. And why not PlayStation? Well, Sony never sent them dev kits is why.

Source: press release

Spinch Review

When Super Meat Boy skidded onto the scene in 2015, it was met with mixed reactions. On one completely degloved hand, you had an excellent platformer that captured the attention with its unique and bizarre premise, but on the other slightly more normal-looking hand, you had players who were immediately repulsed.

Regardless of whether you love Team Meat's contribution to platform gaming, there is no denying the yuck factor of a skinless boy battling an evil, disembodied foetus (or Dr Fetus, if you spell like an American). Spinch is a somehow less bizarre, far more psychedelic flavour of platformers and — if I were to guess — it tastes like an acid trip.

The eponymous character, Spinch, is on a quest to save its babies from the psychedelic storm which has sucked in its progeny and scarpered off over the rainbow. What follows is a trippy platformer where you bounce and dash your way through a variety of environments, from your standard grassy plains to your standard frozen wasteland, killing or dancing past the colourful enemies as they pop up.

As you do, you will come across one of your babies — three per level — which help you in your fight against the world's boss. They do this by jumping in a gun and being shot at the enemy. Don't ask why, it's just weird.

Another thing helping you in your fight is the one non-white thing in the game which isn't an enemy: a weird cluster of pink eggs which claims to be your cousin. Think Exeggcute from Pokémon, but less angry. Find your cousin hidden in a level — up to twice per world — and you'll unlock a one-attempt bonus level.

Despite the chipper look on it's face, your cousin spends bonus levels hurling its babies into the air, expecting you to catch them before they splat on the ground. It also throws bombs at you, because, why the hell not? Beat the level by not killing at least 75% of its babies and you get a bomb to put in your end-boss gun. Again, I know it's weird but let's just go with it.

Unambitious as the game's background environments might be, you won't find yourself complaining about it. There is so much going on in the foreground, from the difficult platform sections to the truly eye-catching enemies, that your attention will never be waning. The thumping dance and trance soundtrack is so utterly perfect that, much like your spinchy babies, you can't help but get sucked in.

The biggest problem I found with this game is that my hands were cramping while playing the game. The gameplay is so tense in parts — such as the levels where you are fleeing a flying enemy which drops bombs that kill you unless you are in a scant piece of shelter — that I have had to put it down and come back many times.

These sections, along with the more difficult platform sections, make for an intentionally challenging game: Queen Bee Games has said that they were trying to bring back old-school difficulty. The quick-restarts and lack of a game-over screen mean that you can keep throwing yourself against the game until you beat it, thankfully, but that doesn't necessarily make the levels any easier.

If you aren't a fan of die-and-try-again games, I can tell you right now that you will not finish this game. It takes a fair amount of determination and love for the genre.

Disclaimer: Freelancer and regular contributor Miguel Moran is the social media manager for publisher Akupara Games. He has had no involvement or influence over the review process.

The new Xbox app is out now on iOS – adds Remote Play and new visual design, but loses Achievements and other features

Microsoft have launched their new Xbox app for iOS and iPadOS overnight, introducing a number of major new features such as Remote Play from your home console and adopting the new visual design that the company are rolling out across all their gaming platforms. However, as a complete rethink of the app's functionality and layout, it also loses some features along the way.

The app is already available on Android, as a public beta. You can download it here for iOS and iPadOS.

The update notes for the app include:

  • Set up new consoles and queue games
  • Play remotely from your console
  • View and share game clips and screenshots
  • Party chat with friends across devices

In truth a lot of that list was already possible in previous versions of the app. You could already set up an Xbox One using the app while the console works to download updates, you could already manage game clips and screenshots, and you could already message and join party chats.

The biggest additions are the new visual style, which adopts the Fluent Design that will feature across all Xbox platforms and apps, and Remote Play, which finally matches th long-standing feature on PlayStation 4. This is a parallel feature to Xbox Game Streaming via Game Pass Ultimate, streaming games directly from your console as opposed to from Microsoft's servers. That distinction is also why it's possible on iOS, where Apple's strict (and nonsensical) policy on game streaming platforms has prevented Microsoft and others from launching game streaming via a dedicated app. Microsoft will introduce a web app similar to Amazon Luna in order to work around this restriction.

You can also use the app to install games, whether you own them or not – I'm currently installing Rainbow Six Siege ahead of its arrival on Xbox Game Pass on Thursday, and this could let users pre-order a disc version of a game and pre-install all the data and updates it needs to run immediately once it arrives.

Strangely, Remote Play and installing un-owned games only works with Xbox One titles, and not backward compatible games.

The app has also lost some areas and functions. You can no longer access Clubs, whether to interact with them or set up new ones, and you can't see or track your Achievements anymore either. The OneGuide for TV viewing is dead and buried, and the Activity Feed for shared content and game news is also gone. The Microsoft Store is also no longer present, which was available in the previous app as a web view that let you buy games directly in the app.

However, on the whole, it's worth recognising that this is the start of a new mobile app platform and will grown and expand alongside the next generation consoles.

Sony are in a similar position, announcing last week that the PS Messages app would be discontinued, ditching support for companion apps for the PS4, and promising a new PlayStation App that will surely tap into some of the new features and functionality of the PlayStation 5.

Source: App Store

Sony could change how fast (and quiet) the PS5 fan is with system updates

Sony could modify the behaviour of the PlayStation 5's cooling fan over time via system updates, tuning how fast it spins based off data collected from end users playing the game

Speaking with 4Gamer.net (translation via Eurogamer), SIE's VP of mechanical design Yasuhiro Ootori explained that they can collect information on how the PS5's APU behaves in each game, and use that to tune how fast the fan spins to potentially stabilise system further.

Ootori said, "Various games will be released in the future, and data on the APU's behaviour in each game will be collected. We have a plan to optimise the fan control based on this data."

It's an interesting statement to make, and seems to tie in with the power philosophy of the PlayStation 5. As announced back in March, the system will dynamically shift the clock speed of both the CPU and GPU to share a fixed power budget. In theory this provides a steady amount of power consumption and waste heat output for the cooling to deal with, and allow for a much steadier fan speed compared to the very variable fan speed of the PS4 and PS4 Pro. However, cooler can run more efficiently and potentially unlock slightly more boost performance within the same power budget, so there's a tradeoff between fan speed, noise and cooling.

The PS5 teardown video published earlier this month – with Ootori carefully taking a console apart and explaining the various design considerations – revealed an intriguing double-sided fan that's 120mm in diameter and 45mm thick, to blow air through the rest of the console. The fan is intended to be near silent, though it can change its speed based off temperature sensors inside the APU and a trio of sensors in other parts of the board.

Sony will have put tens, if not hundreds of thousands of hours into testing and optimising the PlayStation 5's cooling system over the last half decade, all of that testing will be eclipsed once there are millions of consoles in the hands of consumers, and with modern data harvesting from electronic devices, they will be able to tweak the workings of the console to try and optimise it further.

It will be fascinating to see how this plays out, though I'm sure some are worried the console won't provide the same near-silent operation a few years down the line. Will Sony sacrifice a few decibels to unlock a fraction of additional performance? Will they find that they can actually reduce the fan speed? Could they monitor the microphone in the DualSense or detect if your wearing headphones and let the fan run higher in general?

Source: 4Gamer.net via Eurogamer

Mario Kart Live Review – A magical mix of real-world and digital play, but it's not quite perfect

Like Link's Tri-Force, or the Transformer's Matrix of Power, you can rely on Nintendo to light up your darkest hour. Times might be grim, with real world struggles that few could have fathomed twelve months ago, but here's the Japanese company with a Switch-controlled augmented reality Mario Kart, that might just melt all of it away. Until it needs charging again, that is.

Karting remains the plumber's most beloved pastime beyond jumping on turtle's heads, and when you pull the WiFi controlled kart out of the box for the first time that love will be manifest in eight inches of moustachioed vehicular wonder. It's a chunky, sturdy-feeling recreation of Mario's kart, boasting some lovely visual touches like actual tread on the tyres, while a camera housed in the rear cowling is the window to Mario Kart Live's reality-augmenting magic.

There actually isn't all that much in the box, but you'll soon find that that's part of the magic. Alongside the kart, instructions to download the MK Live software from the eShop, and a standard USB-C charging cable charging cable, there are four cardboard gates to put together and a pair of cardboard directional markers. They feel like a direct extension of Nintendo's Labo creations; easy to set up, and perfectly functional in their simplicity. It's nice to see them remaining committed to a more recyclable package, even if it's as much a cost-saving exercise as an environmental one.

The truly magical moment comes from creating real-world Mario Kart tracks that you can physically race around, with a sprinkling of augmented reality that brings it all to life on your TV or Switch screen. Here's how it works: you build a track using the four cardboard gates as markers – and whatever else you want to use to define the track – and you fire up the MK Live software on your Switch. Once you've connected your Switch to the kart with a bit of QR code wizardry, you then need to define the track, and prove it's viable by driving the kart around. Once you've done that, you're ready for a race.

Seeing your home on the Switch screen while a diminutive Mario tootles around it is remarkable. The kart's camera feed links directly to the console, and you can marvel at your own feet, the lost toys underneath the sofa, and the underside of your kitchen cupboards all from the comfort of your chair while Mario zooms around you. At first though, he will pootle past you instead. Just like the mainline games, Mario Kart Live starts out at 50cc, a nice and sedate pace for you and the small people in your house to get used to before your expensive real-world kart starts repeatedly slamming into the nearest wall.

You can access 50cc and 100cc from the off, while the faster settings are locked away behind success in previous cups. That's right, just like 'real' Mario Kart, there's a full range of cups to race through, each made up of three races. Brilliantly, the different gates change in appearance depending on the race type, while various other effects like rain or underwater ripples, and a change in soundtrack, serve to make each race more unique.

The more active part of that is that you can build a new track for every race. It's not mandatory – it certainly serves to slow the whole process down – but it's very very cool taking everything apart and having a go at track building with chairs, boxes and plastic dinosaurs. My favourite stand of the day saw Pando, Mr Todd and Marty Mcfly cheering from the sidelines while a T-Rex quietly watched Mario whizz by. I loved it, and both of our boys loved it. Our youngest even had his wooden tool kit out to act as pit crew, carefully tapping at the kart's wheels with a tiny hammer. It's been an utterly wonderful day of real-world and digital play.

I have to admit that those expecting it to be quite as refined as Mario Kart 8 will be disappointed. Drawing your track is quick and easy, but you have to be careful that it does actually fit properly into the space. Our household became annoyed when the AR competitors could travel straight through a sofa leg when we, quite obviously, slammed straight into it, and the edges of the AR track markers can easily be too close to objects that are going to get in the way.

It's also very much the case that space is of a premium. The kart is fine on regular carpet, though lino and wooden floors are undoubtedly nippier, so that's one potential issue done away with, but if you live in a smaller home you, or your children, aren't going to get the most out of it. That's a core barrier to play; Mario Kart Live simply won't be able to offer very much to you if you have a smaller home.

The main problem though is connectivity. Mario Kart Live uses a WiFi signal to connect the kart with the Switch, with a recommended range of five metres. That proves most effective when you're playing in handheld mode and you're sat in the midst of whatever track you've created. Our lounge heads straight into the kitchen, and we set our first track up to go between the two rooms, but originally we tried to play with the Switch docked. With the dock tucked away behind our TV it soon became apparent that it just doesn't work, suffering from both the physical barrier and the likely mess of WiFi signals spewing from behind there.

The result is that the camera feed cuts out, and you lose all control of the kart. Things are greatly improved by using it undocked, but then you can't have it blown up on the TV with the music blaring out, which is a real shame when there's so much fun to be had as a family or group with it in that format.

If you have the opportunity, you can play real-world multiplayer with four karts (there's both a Mario and Luigi flavoured option at the moment, with more surely on the way) but at £99.99 a throw they're a big investment for most households to even consider having one, let alone the four Switch consoles you'd need for a full roster. Sadly, when combined with the need for as much space as possible, Mario Kart Live is going to be reserved for the wealthier households out there.

Stardew Valley 1.5 update will add splitscreen multiplayer

More than four years after the game's original launch on PC, Stardew Valley is getting even more free content.

The game's sole developer, Eric Barone (who goes by ConcernedApe online) has revealed a big new feature for upcoming title update 1.5.

We don't have a timeframe for when 1.5 will launch but when it does, it will be adding splitscreen multiplayer co-op to Stardew Valley on PC. Barone posted a screenshot of the new two-player feature in action.

Of course, this won't be the only addition made to Stardew Valley in update 1.5. We've yet to see a full breakdown of changes and new content though there are likely new activities, items, and other quality of life improvements in the pipeline.

Fangamer recently unveiled their physical collector's edition of Stardew Valley for both PC and Nintendow Switch.

Launching on November 6th. Stardew fans can secure either a standard of swanky collector's edition physical version of the farming game on PC and Nintendo Switch with prices ranging from $29-69. For those who live outside the US, don't worry – the Nintendo Switch cart will be region free as well as the Steam activation key provided with the PC disc version.

Buying the standard edition will net you a physical copy of the game as well as a manual. Meanwhile, the pricier collector's edition comes bundled with the following Fangamer exclusive extras:

  • Deluxe six-piece wooden standee made from responsibly sourced birch and cherry wood (measures 4.5 x 4 x 4 inches; some assembly required).
  • Wooden lapel pin made from the same eco-friendly wood as the standee
  • 14-page Junimo comic by Chihiro Sakaida, the artist of the Before the Farmer comic
  • Deed to your farm featuring gold-foil details on paper made from 30% recycled straw (a byproduct of actual farming!)
  • Collector's Edition box made from sturdy, high-quality materials featuring artwork by Kari Fry, the artist behind the Stardew Valley Guidebook
  • Physical copy of the game on your choice of platform with 18-page, full-color illustrated instruction manual and double-sided cover with Joja theme on the inside
  • Soft polyester-nylon blend cleaning cloth designed by Chihiro Sakaida
  • For a limited time: Bonus poster for preorders until August 15th (measures 10″ by 16″, folded)

Source: Twitter (ConcernedApe)

2K adds unskippable adverts to NBA 2K21 loading screens

2K have decided to add unskippable adverts to NBA 2K21's pre-game loading screens across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. This addition comes around a month and a half after the game's initial release and well after the review window for the game.

You can see this, as captured by Stevivor over the weekend:

The advert is triggered by the pre-game loading screen, and is inserted into the game's take on a pre-game TV broadcast. While authentic to US sports programming, it cannot be skipped and runs in full before players can press a button to continue. What isn't entirely clear is if the loading screen is lengthened to accommodate the advert, though Stevivor reported that it still played in full when testing this on an SSD-equipped PC.

It comes just a month after EA pulled a similar move in UFC 4, inserting adverts into the transitions around replays, before removing them after backlash from players.

It also adds to the criticism of 2K's efforts to monetise their dominant sports franchise beyond the initial sticker price. NBA 2K has long had microtransactions that have gone beyond cosmetics and can tie into the player and character progression across all modes through the overarching Virtual Currency. Some years strike a decent balance between earning VC though play and pay, and others fail to do so.

2K were also the first to announce a price hike for their game series while heading to the next generation, and decided not to offer players an upgrade path from the current generation, paid or otherwise. Instead, the only way to get the next-gen upgrade included with your current-gen game was to buy the Mamba Forever edition at £84.99. It should be acknowledged that the next-gen version has been rebuilt from the ground up and offers significant changes to the game's visuals, animation, presentation, and more. 2K might have to work a little bit harder to integrate adverts when loading screens will be so much shorter, though.

NBA 2K21 is out now for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC and Stadia. It's coming to Xbox Series X|S on 10th November, and PlayStation 5 on 12th or 19th November depending on your region.

Source: Stevivor

Earning PS5 trophies can unlock in-game rewards

Last week, Sony finally gave us an in-depth look at the PlayStation 5's UI and since then people have been picking the lengthy explainer video apart for more details.

Once interesting tidbit comes from Twitter user Tidux who has dug up some more information about PS5 trophies and the console's new "activity cards" system.

According to them, PS5 users will be able to redeem in-game rewards when unlocking trophies, a feature that is bound to excite PlayStation trophy hunters out there.

Two images from the PS5 UI reveal show separate trophies for exclusive launch title, Destruction AllStars. Unlocking the bronze trophy titled "Rookie" will reward you with a profile banner item while the gold trophy "Wreckognised" will land you a profile avatar. We assume that both of these are for use in Destruction AllStars as opposed to being a PSN avatar and banner. We're waiting for official clarification on this via Sony.

As also noted by Tidux, this is similar to how Ubisoft handles rewards via their Uplay extension. This was originally introduced in 2009 with the launch of Assassin's Creed II giving players in-game bonuses for completing certain trophies and achievements. This has expanded over the years to include daily and weekly challenges with points earned being spendable across most Ubisoft titles.

PS5 trophy rewards is another way Sony can enrich the player's experience with yet another engaging hook, adding more value to trophies than a simple *ping* noise and notification pop-up. However, just like previously mentioned activity cards, we're interested in just how well spread this feature will be. Will it only apply to first party games? What will Sony be doing to encourage other games to use its more in-depth set of PS5 features?

We've posted a handy breakdown PlayStation 5 user experience for those wanting more info on the main menu, parties, trophies, and more.

The PS5 officially launches next month, arriving in the US and other select territories on November 12th, then everywhere else (including the UK) on November 19th.

Source: Twitter (Tidux) via PSU

Rainbow Six Siege is coming to Xbox Game Pass this week [Updated]

Update: Microsoft have now confirmed that Rainbow Six Siege will be added to Xbox Game Pass for console and streaming on 22nd October.

In probably one of the most obvious teases of all times, it looks like Rainbow Six Siege is coming to Xbox Game Pass sometime soon.

Let's see if we can work out the cryptic clue that the Xbox Game Pass Twitter account dropped over the weekend:

Let's see… so there's a medieval castle siege going on, but the sky above is being grace by not one, not two, but six rainbows. Either that's R6 Siege, or there's a very fabulous Total War announcement coming soon.

Let's just say it's Siege, though, and the timing feels pretty much perfect for Microsoft to snag the popular online tactical shooter for its subscription service. Ubisoft announced that the game will be getting free upgrades to the next-gen PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles sometime later this year, promising to bring resolutions up to 4K and with 120fps gameplay for ultra-responsive first person shooting. Despite persistent rumours, they've resisted making the game free to play, but with the new generation of consoles, now's obviously a great time for them to try and lure in new and returning players, and what better way than putting it on Game Pass, where it has much of the allure of being free?

It's already been a pretty big year for the game, with the latest big update being Year 5 Season 3 Operation: Shadow Legacy, which added the very familiar Clancy-verse face of Sam Fischer is sneaking his way into the fray, and they're currently testing a major rework of Tachanka, one of the original set of Operators in the game

You can find all the Year 5 Season 3 details in our report, but here's a brief summary:

Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 Season 3 summary

  • New Operator: Zero (Sam Fisher)
  • Map ban feature
  • Match replays
  • New weapons: SC-3000K and 5.7 USG
  • Contextual ping system
  • More scope attachment options
  • Improvement accessibility
  • Reinforcement pool
  • New equipment: Hard Breach Charge
  • Thatcher rework
  • Stats tracker
  • SquadFinder

Source: Xbox Game Pass Twitter

Amnesia: Rebirth Review

Horror can take many forms and work in many ways, but in video games we see the same handful of approaches appear time and again, from the action horror of Doom to the helpless terror of Alien Isolation. More broadly, we can think of horror being split between the fear of some outside unknown and the fear of the self. Amnesia: Rebirth promises to focus on the latter, whilst also allowing some good old fashioned monstrous jump scares along the way.

This is appropriate given the almost legendary status of the first Amnesia game, Dark Descent, and how it was responsible for launching a host of YouTube reaction videos (and spurring on sales of clean underwear). Developers Frictional Games are back in full control, having handed duties over to The Chinese Room for the slower paced A Machine for Pigs, so have they brought the horror back with them?

Amnesia: Rebirth is a brand new story set within the Amnesia world rather than a direct sequel, but it still contains the trademark combination of dread and danger that fans demand. Set in the Algerian Desert during the 1930s you play as the pregnant Tasi, part of an archaeological dig that goes very wrong. The intro sees your plane crash and you waking up under the hot sun with no idea where your companions have gone. The first thing to strike me here was the unexpected use of bright light as a threat. Amnesia is a series renowned for its use of darkness, so to have to take refuge in the shade from the burning desert sun was a real surprise. It isn't long, though, before you venture into more traditional darker environments.

There's some excellent architectural design and impressive vistas to take in through the game. The standard PS4 took everything in its stride, though obviously not as technically refined as it would have been on a high spec PC. As so much of the game takes place in darkness, however, the difference between platforms is less obvious than for other titles. Facial animations are fine (albeit infrequent given how much time you spend alone) and creature designs are well in keeping with the series. I wasn't as scared by these creatures as I was expecting to be, but whether that is down to the design or my being desensitised by too many horror games I couldn't say.

As with most horror games, I'd highly recommend playing Amnesia: Rebirth with headphones, as the audio design plays a huge role in conveying the terror of Tasi's situation. Voice acting is well handled and I felt as though I really got to know Tasi through her scattered memories and reactions to what was happening around her. She is a great protagonist and her portrayal is a large part of the success of the game as a whole. Playing as a pregnant woman is a bold choice for any game, let alone one where the player will be put in as much peril as they are here. While the more picky might complain that Tasi's condition would prevent her from running and climbing as she must here, the framing helps to demonstrate how desperate her situation is. As the game progresses, the status of her pregnancy begins to blur into the horror too as well.

Tasi's backstory is slowly revealed through a combination of notes, recalled memories, and her own dialogue. This works especially well in ensuring that you come to identify with her without having to endure any lengthy exposition. Of course, the resultant unanswered questions also contribute to the unsettling atmosphere. Completionists will find plenty of replayability in scouring the various environments for all of the notes and memories. I was taking things pretty slowly and still missed out on loads of collectable.

Amnesia: Rebirth feels like a hybrid of the earlier titles, with elements of sneaking, hiding, and running feeling a good deal like Dark Descent, but then seeing this mixed up with more slow paced, almost walking sim sequences. These combine to give the game a more dynamic range to the tension, a factor that many competing titles overlook.

The effect here is that the chase sequences don't ever become a chore, as is so often the case. Death will happen but you are pretty swiftly returned back to the fray and there aren't lengthy periods of backtracking. There were a couple of moments when dying continued the narrative, but I would need to replay to see if there were ways around these instances. Making your way through the game requires you to solve a myriad of environmental puzzles, ranging from moving obstructions from doorways to manipulating strange power sources, and some of these are challenging enough to give a sense of achievement upon completion.

You have no defence against the creatures that stalk the darkness so you must hide or run from them. While most of your time is spent without light, you have the trademark matches to offer a brief respite (or to light candles and torches in the environment) and also a lantern that must be refilled from hidden jars of oil. Running out of these light sources isn't game breaking though, as your in-game eyes adjust to the lack of light and give you enough of a view to navigate by, albeit at the cost of your sanity. Encroaching madness is visually represented through subliminal hallucinations and black tendrils obscuring the screen, as well as appropriately unpleasant sound effects.

Space Crew Review

Both the shield generator and O2 generators have broken and need repair. One gunner is currently in med bay, the allied fighters have retreated due to low fuel, and the comms officer is now dead. It is at this point you are wondering whether you've bitten off more than you can chew as more enemies fly in, and the enemy champion taunts you. You assess the situation and then give the order: abandon ship. The survivors get to the escape pods just as the Phasmids start boarding. So ends the story of the UDF ship TSA, but that is not the end of this war in Space Crew.

The follow up to the WW2-themed Bomber Crew, Space Crew can be ruthless. It starts off relatively straightforward, giving you a basic ship and some simple missions to tackle as you fight in a war between Earth's UDF and the invading Phasmids. Initially these missions will see you going into an area and clearing enemies, escorting transports, or rescuing people. They provide a bit of a challenge and test you, but you can handle it.

Stepping up to the medium risk missions with some upgrades in tow, they have similar objectives, but immediately feel a bit more dicey. Enemies are stronger and you have to really pay attention to what your crew is doing. You have six crew members in total: the Captain who navigates the ship, the Comms officer who plots routes and can scan area for enemies or points of interest, the Security officer who can do things like purge parts of the ship, which is helpful when getting rid of unwanted guests, the Engineer who is the fastest at fixing things, and two Gunners whose main job is to shoot enemy ships.

As you complete these missions you earn research points that unlock equipment for the crew and the ship, and the money to buy this new equipment. Your crew members will also gain experience and learn new skills, but if they die then you lose them for ever. The same goes for your ship, and while you can always get another ship and can recruit more crew mates, you'll quickly get attached to your little group.

As missions get more difficult, you have more and more choices to make, balancing between finding the right time to activate abilities and moving crew members to taking care of different tasks. For example, if the Engineer is currently boosting power they can't just run off to put out a fire, you'll need to send someone else like the Security officer, as I soon started doing. Similarly, when enemy fighter numbers increase you'll need four people on the guns, deciding who you can divert from their regular job. Will you forego the Comms officer's ability to (hopefully) call in back up?

You might get through one tense battle, but missions do not just have one encounter. Some will give you two routes to choose between on your way to the objective. One is the safest route, which takes longer and has fewer enemies, or there's the fastest route that will likely see you battling more enemies and could see an enemy champion show up at random. These are essentially boss fights that can strike at any time, whether it's near the start of your ship's run or when you are stronger. They're tough battles as they are joined by waves of their allies. In this situation the best bet is to just target the boss, because if you can defeat them or make them retreat then the other enemies will retreat too.

You will need to grind in Space Crew to make progress through the missions and the story. Your first loadout just will not cut it and you will not be able to afford the upgrades from the start. Those upgrades include better weapons that are either energy based, which are great for taking down shield but require reactor power, non-energy, which will damage enemy hulls, or a combination of the two. You will need some overlap of the two types to be effective. Other upgrades then include better shields and better armour to help you stay in the fight for longer.

The grind is okay, but the missions can get repetitive. Some of that is by design, as you will repeat missions to get to get the same rewards, but every mission boils down to going into a sector and clearing out enemies. There are some other elements, like when taking on a mothership, but even that doesn't differ too much. It's still entertaining, but it is grind.

Sony are "looking into your feedback" after dissatisfaction over party chat changes on PS4

Sony caused quite a stir last week with the release of PlayStation 4 System Software 8.00 and a subtle but significant change to the way that party chat works on the current console. Moving to the PlayStation 5, Sony have changed parties to now be more permanent, tying together with a text chat to be a more social and communal space for defined groups of friends, and it's necessarily rolled that back to the PS4 for cross-generational functionality.

However, with new moderation and reporting tools sending a worrying notice to all PS4 users, PSN errors affecting friends lists on the day the update went live, and people generally disliking change, Sony have annoyed a fair few of their users. Thankfully, they say they're listening, they already apologised for not giving enough clarity over the incoming changes, and it sounds like they're open to revisiting the form and the function of parties in future.

While it's extremely unlikely that the new model for Parties and group messaging will be rolled back, we could see some of the previous functionality return. In particular, the ability to create a private party without inviting any other users can be used to blanket block in-game voice chat, while a permanent parties model doesn't gel with the need in some games like Destiny 2 to create temporary gaming groups for LFG, or to invite friends of friends for a single gaming session.

 

Of course, part fo the frustration that some users have felt has been about the lack of communication. In their apology and explanation of the new voice chat recording and reporting feature on PS5, Catherine Jensen, Vice President of Global Consumer Experience at Sony said, "We should have more clearly explained why this function was being rolled out," and detailed how only a few minutes of chats would be recorded locally, and that they would be sent to Sony only if a player wishes to report inappropriate behaviour.

Sony have been generally quite secretive over the system software and functionality of the PlayStation 5, waiting until less than a month remained before the console's release before they reveal how it looks, the new card-based interface, Activities, and more. There's still other features that have yet to be revealed, as well, and we're left guessing about the existence of a Quick Resume feature to hop between games without restarting them. They're also making a number of changes to their online infrastructure through October to prepare for the PS5, such as the browser PlayStation Store hiding all content from before the PlayStation 4, the PS Messages app is being discontinued, and more.

Source: Twitter

Remothered: Broken Porcelain Review

The Remothered series has a complex and troubled history. Starting off as a 2D tribute to the oft-neglected Clocktower games, that initial iteration was scrapped and morphed into a more cinematic survival horror trilogy. The first part of this, Tormented Fathers, was a sleeper hit amongst horror fans, and I was really pleasantly surprised by its convoluted storyline and effectively scary atmosphere. Fast forward two years and it's time for a follow up. Could this be an early Halloween treat or a devious trick by the publishers to pre-empt other big scary releases like Amnesia: Rebirth? Read on, if you dare…

First things first, the initial release build of Broken Porcelain was widely criticised for being unfinished and buggy. My first playthrough was littered with annoying bugs, non-functioning mechanics and a lack of polish. However, by the time of writing there have been several patches for both PC and console versions – this review is based off the PC version – and given the goodwill I had from the first title, I immediately began a new game post-patches to see how much they improved matters. Thankfully the biggest issues are now mostly fixed, though there are still a number of rough edges.

Continuing on from the events of Tormented Fathers – a handy story overview is there for newcomers and those who may have forgotten – Broken Porcelain fills in many of the larger gaps in the background of that game's narrative. It functions as both prequel and sequel, with the playable events taking place in the past while the present events are largely delivered through cutscenes and dialogue. It's an interesting approach, and one that works for the most part as it successfully maintains an air of uncertainty and suspense.

Both cutscenes and gameplay benefit from decent graphics, albeit not on the cutting edge. Faces are pretty realistic, but lip synching is not great and there were still a few anomalies like floating cushions and upside-down chairs in my patched up playthrough. That being said, on a suitable PC, Broken Porcelain is a good looking indie game.

Audio is a key aspect of any horror game and Broken Porcelain certainly has the eerie music, threatening ambient noises, and unsettling bodily effects to fit, although there is still room for some improvement here. Some noises didn't trigger properly every time, and the panic-inducing chase music was an unreliable guide as to whether you were still being pursued or not. Given the game's focus on stealth and hiding this was a bit of a shame. Too often I emerged from a wardrobe thinking the danger was passed, only to walk right into my pursuer who was just out of sight.

The voice acting has a slightly hammy quality to it that suits the low-budget horror feel, whether deliberately or not. There is a surprising amount of swearing given the child protagonist and this didn't always have the desired effect but the writing is mostly pretty strong for the genre.

Playing as a mysterious young girl named Jennifer, you have been placed in the care of the owners of a Hotel and must work as a maid. Things quickly unravel, however, and you soon have to escape from the horrors of the drug-induced nightmares that straddle the line between reality and hallucination. The series' name is a convoluted pun on REM sleep, mother, and othered, focusing as it does on family bloodlines, nightmares, and trauma, and this game certainly continues those themes. In the more narrative sections, you continue as Rosemary Reed, the protagonist from the first game, as you discover the mystery behind that game's events. Gameplay largely revolves around stealth, with a few puzzles and some combat sections.

Audio cues aside, the stealth aspect of Broken Porcelain is fairly well handled. Jennifer can sneak and hide with hiding places well spaced out across the various locations. In this sense it was more successful than the recent Maid of Sker, but lacks that title's overall polish. The puzzles and combat were more reminiscent of the outstanding Song of Horror, a game that should be high on everyone's Halloween playlist. That being said, the combination of these two approaches works well in distinguishing Broken Porcelain from its most obvious comparisons. Add in a strange ability to control moths later in the game and there is certainly enough here to stand on its own.

The focus here is on survival horror rather than action, so your offensive capabilities are highly limited. You can only carry a single use defence item at a time (although this can be upgraded) so the boss fights insist on you hitting and running to collect another whilst making good use of the hotel's layout to stay safe. There are also distraction items to give you some respite and, more importantly, to set the enemies up for a sneak attack. Initially rather wonky, the patched game is much improved with enemy alertness and damage being much more balanced, especially with the various upgrades now working.