Back 4 Blood Closed Alpha Builds On Left 4 Dead's Accessibility

Back 4 Blood logo with part of a screenshot showing subtitles

Throughout 2020, accessibility in video games has boomed thanks to studios wanting to allow more players the means to enjoy their games. Turtle Rock Studios' Back 4 Blood went into closed alpha on December 17, 2020, and even with the game slated to launch in June of next year, there's already a good range of options available.

First up, keyboard and mouse buttons can be reassigned along with mouse sensitivity adjustments and the like. Xbox gamepad controller support is present, but you can only rebind a certain range of inputs. For example, if you want to open the in-game screen that displays all active cards in that round, you're forced to use K on the keyboard. In addition, found under the "Miscellaneous" tab you can toggle if you want Auto Recenter Recoil on or off.

There are your usual graphical options as well, such as allowing you to reduce motion blurring and field of view, and for in-game communications, you can use text chat, although the size of this can't be adjusted as of yet and feels fairly small for some players. For those using microphones, you can choose from push-to-talk or open mic and can adjust the input and output levels using a slider. Other audio levels such as master audio,  SFX, Dialogue, and Music also have sliders as expected.

Back 4 Blood miscellaneous options

Captions are fantastic, and to me, they are what makes Back 4 Blood even more of a nostalgic trip as they're incredibly similar to how Left 4 Dead uses captions. You're able to choose from the following: Off, Conversation, Ambient, or Full Captions.

Character dialogue comes with speaker labels while ambient captions detail specific key enemies and use colors to show whether they're attacking, idle, or if they've been killed. Additionally, the adjustments to the size and background opacity are incredibly intuitive allowing you to go from really small to really large by using a slider rather than preset sizes.

During gameplay, a Game Coach can help throw tips your way, and a "Reset Game Coach" option on the miscellaneous menu indicates that the tips will go away in time after learning how fast you're picking the game up. There's also a ping system that allows you to assign a marker —albeit a small one— anywhere you're looking. Pinging will let you highlight ammo, weapons, and even enemies which is a huge help if you're not wanting to use in-game comms.

Example of subtitles and ping marker for Back 4 Blood

When wandering around the map like a true survivor, you can see a glowing outline of your teammates through the walls and floors just like Left 4 Dead, and when they're in trouble they'll switch to an orange outline. Indicators pop up warning you of nearby warnings that can alert the horde, and if you're covered in guts or incapacitated. Icons will also pop up for nearby items and ammo with a directional indicator. Hit markers also flash white to confirm a hit, and red to confirm a kill.

What's available in this early stage is impressive and takes inspiration from the accessibility that was present in Left 4 Dead and builds upon that to suit modern standards. If it ain't broke don't fix it so to speak. And personally, I've always found Valve's titles such as Half-Life 2 and Left 4 Dead have offered fantastic captions. Hopefully, more features will become available as development continues.

Back 4 Blood subtitles with highlighted ammo and teammate

As for things I'd like to see, directional indicators for the more troublesome enemies such as an Ogre or Retch would be nice. Bigger and more prominent ping markers would help stand out in the flurry of action. The ability to increase the text chat would also be welcomed, and it may be worth having a current objective somewhere in one of the top corners as sometimes it can be confusing as to what's next even if the maps are incredibly linear. It'll also be worth the studio making sure captions aren't overlaying informational popups, as well as maybe offering a frequency for how many lines of captions are displayed at one time.

For those unaware, Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor of the Left 4 Dead titles. Turtle Rock Studios was acquired by Valve in 2008 and worked on Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 before it parted ways and reformed itself as an independent studio again in 2010. Since then the studio has worked on Evolve. Fast forward to last week during The Game Awards 2020, the studio shared gameplay footage and announced that a closed alpha would be taking place in December 2020.

Back 4 Blood is to be launching June 22, 2021, for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. We'll have first impressions based on the closed alpha heading your way later today.

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Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer is Available for Free Now for a Limited Time

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War

Over a month after its launch, now Activision offers you a free trial for the multiplayer version of Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War until December 24th on any platform that you have.

Running in two following stages, the first session of free trial runs from now until December 21st, through which you will have access to 2V2 Gunfight, Team Deathmatch, Nuketown Holiday 24/7, Domination, and Raid the Mall. Right after the first session, the second phase free trial starts and continues until December 24th. During the second stage you will have the chance to play Fireteam: Dirty Bomb, Combined Arms: Hardpoint, and Prop Hunt. You will be able to play on 18 different maps during the course of free trail.

If you are planning to play the free trial on PlayStation or Xbox consoles, you can start downloading the game from corresponding stores right now. PC players will only be able to get the game from Battle dot net client.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War recently received its first season of post-launch content, which added a new multiplayer map, one new operator, and a brand new map for Call of Duty Warzone called Rebirth Island. Along the season, more multiplayer maps and playable operators will be added to the game.

In the case of sales, Black Ops Cold War has reached the top spot of the UK sales chart only once since its launch. The game didn't receive any discounts at Black Friday or Cyber Monday. That being said, Christmas sales are ahead and Activision might consider some discounts for the game at the end of 2020.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. All the post-launch content of the game will be available for free.

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Super Nintendo World Direct Livestream Coming Today

Super Nintendo World Direct December 18

Nintendo has toyed with a few different directs this year. We've had a range of Partner Presentations, a few Indie World Showcases and a handful of videos geared towards a single title or franchise.

Adding another feather to their Direct cap, Nintendo has confirmed that later on today, Friday, December 18, they will be hosting another new type of showcase. This video won't be focused on a single game, a range of games or any games at all, as instead, they will be spending 15 minutes showing off Universal Studios Japan's newest area, Super Nintendo World.

The video will be live and will take place at 3PM PT/ 6PM ET/ 11PM UK. Nintendo has been quick to confirm however that no footage of any upcoming games will be shown.

It was recently confirmed that the Super Nintendo World area of the park would be opening to the public on February 4, 2021, after originally getting delayed from Spring, due to the pandemic. The park is designed to feel like "a life-size, living video game where you could become one of the characters," and "You're not just playing the game; you're living the game, you're living the adventure."

We've previously got a look at the new AR Mario Kart ride, titled Mario Kart Koopa's Circuit. Set in Bowser's castle, riders will wear a pair of Super Mario AR Goggles and then will  "set off from Bowser's castle and race through different scenes including a lava level, underwater, a spooky area, Rainbow Road and more." It's also been reported that alongside the Super Mario area of Universal Studios Japan, Nintendo is building a Donkey Kong section.

While it's unlikely those in the West will be heading out to Japan to visit the park any time soon, this direct will certainly be worth watching as the attraction is likely to top many people's bucket lists.

You can watch today's presentation live on the Nintendo YouTube channel.

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The Callisto Protocol Looks Even More Haunting in the Extended Reveal Trailer

The Callisto Protocol

Glen Schofield's brand new studio officially revealed its upcoming title by a promising trailer at The Game Awards 2020. The Callisto Protocol seems to have much in common with the Dead Space series, and thanks to the new extended version of the reveal trailer, we get to know more about the brutal setting of this upcoming horror experience.

The new Red Band cinematic trailer showcases how brutally the poor prisoner gets beaten by his mutated friend in the cell, which is a disgustingly horrifying scene. Later in the trailer, it turns out that after being eaten by the mutated creature, the prisoner himself turns into one of those ugly creatures.

If there would be no delays in the release date, The Callisto Protocol is still over a year away from us, at least. Striking Distance Studios didn't clarified which platforms will be hosting The Callisto Protocol at launch, but it will likely target PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Recently, a tweet from Striking Distance Studios revealed that The Callisto Protocol is supposed to be one of the most horrifying video game experiences of the history, probably in veins of the Dead Space series. The game follows the strange status of a prison at Jupiter's dead moon, Callisto.

Striking Distance Studios is one of the development teams operating under the wing of PUBG Corporation. The Callisto Protocol is not the only story-driven single-player project at the home of PUBG. During The Game Awards 2019, Prologue was announced as an upcoming narrative-driven experience that tries to provide a background story to PlayerUnknown's Battleground.

With Glen Schofield leaving Visceral Games and EA shutting down the studio, it doesn't seem possible to see the revival of the Dead Space franchise. However, if Striking Distance could reach a commercial success with its new title, maybe EA eventually thinks of revisiting the Dead Space series with a new team of developers.

The post The Callisto Protocol Looks Even More Haunting in the Extended Reveal Trailer by Mehrdad Khayyat appeared first on DualShockers.

Sony Has Removed Cyberpunk 2077 From The PlayStation Store

Cyberpunk 2077 refund

PlayStation has removed Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation store and will be offering owners full refunds. This follows multiple reports that the game's performance on last-gen consoles, including Sony's PS4, is far below standard.

The launch of Cyberpunk 2077, the latest title from CD Projekt Red, has been fraught with multiple issues. Since its release, the game has been filled with bugs and glitches, including hard crashes on both current and last-gen consoles. CD Projekt Red issued an apology for the game's performance, saying "We should have paid more attention to making it play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One." CD Projekt Red went on to say that if players were unsatisfied with the state of the game that they should seek refunds.

For players trying to refund Cyberpunk 2077, however, the experience has been less than ideal. Multiple users across all PlayStation and Xbox consoles have run into difficulties or been flat-out denied refunds for the game. PlayStation users have routinely been denied refunds if they purchased and downloaded the game via the PlayStation Store.

CD Projekt Red also created an email specifically for helping customers that could not refund Cyberpunk 2077. That too did not work out. Customers that emailed CD Projekt Red began receiving responses telling them to not request refunds from Sony. Instead, they were told to simply wait with no further instructions.

While a site has been set up for initiating refunds for Cyberpunk 2077, users are still running into difficulties. Customers are directed to a page stating that Sony Interactive Entertainment must first verify that those seeking a refund purchased the game from the PlayStation Store. It doesn't seem like that matters much though. The statement goes on to say that "completion of the refund may vary based on your payment method and financial institution."

One user on Twitter, @ASnarkyCatLady, found that the page offered no way to initiate a refund. They were then sent a DM from Sony's AskPlayStation account. The user clarified that the DM directed them to a chatbot that also refused to provide a refund for Cyberpunk 2077.

It is not clear when Cyberpunk 2077 will return to the PlayStation store. Likewise, PlayStation and Sony Interactive Entertainment have not explained how the refund process for the game will proceed.

The post Sony Has Removed Cyberpunk 2077 From The PlayStation Store by Otto Kratky appeared first on DualShockers.

Based Sakurai Finally Saves Super Smash Bros Ultimate From Geno Begging Fanboys

Geno Super Smash Bros Ultimate sakurai troll post james gournalist

The presentation of Sephiroth in Super Smash Bros Ultimate happened this December 17, and with it, the reveal for new Mii costumes – Geno is coming to Super Smash Bros Ultimate, not as a real character, but as a Mii Costume. The reveal also included Tifa, Barret, and a Chocobo cap.

This is a new milestone in the history of the internet. Finally putting an end to years and years of frantic Geno fanboys complaining about how he didn't make it to Super Smash Bros Ultimate. And dissing any other character that did. Because apparently my boy Terry Bogard isn't more worthy of a Smash invitation than Geno. Today is historical, and every single Smash player around the world has been freed from the oppression of Geno fanboys. All thanks to Based Sakurai, whose deeds will once again be recorded to be passed on to the next generation.

Now, don't get me wrong. As the one and only James Gournalist, you can bet I have played and 100%'ed Super Mario RPG so many times I can't even count. You think you can get away with doubting my love for Geno over the Internet? I'll have you know I was collecting the Seven Stars with Koopa and my homies before Suupaa Mariyo Aru Pee Jee was even localized. Playing the legendary Squaresoft RPG in its authentic and pure Japanese state. Dancing to the banging score of Shimomura Yoko san. However, I can admit and realize that Geno simply doesn't deserves one of the highly prized playable spots of Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

Meanwhile, I'd bet a lot of those fanboys whining about Geno's absence in Smash didn't even play Super Mario RPG themselves yet. They should be ashamed of their words & deeds. And of all the grief they caused to Based Sakurai by whining in his Twitter replies.

And honestly. While Sephiroth looks awesome, this graceful salvation was the best thing on stream. Together with Based Sakurai trolling once again. Bringing up Sephiroth's Frame Data, before pointing out that's way too technical for a "Party Game".

Geno Mii Costume Revealed in Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Sephiroth was first revealed at The Game Awards. December 22 is the date he'll officially release on for those who bought the Fighter's Pass 2. Moreover, if you own the Fighter's Pass 2, you can try the Sephiroth Challenge to unlock him starting December 17. 03:00 PM PT. Lastly, be sure to follow me on social media and subscribe to the James Gournalist Onlyfans for additional hot and sexy video games takes.

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Sackboy: A Big Adventure Received a Multiplayer Update Today

Sackboy: A big adventure Multiplayer

A new update has just been released for the PS4 and PS5 title Sackboy: A Big Adventure. The patch includes a new multiplayer mode that allows players to play with up to three friends.

Ned Waterhouse, Design Director over at Sumo Digital, detailed in the PlayStation Blog that ten new teamwork-based levels have also been added. The levels will be exclusive to multiplayer and there will be two new multiplayer stages in each of the game's five worlds.

There will be a bunch of new moves that players will be able to try out with their friends. Some will be of assistance while the others might be of annoyance. Some of the new actions will include, slapping, grabbing, and rolling into other players. Some co-op emotes, such as hugs and high-fives, have also been added that allows players to interact with their teammates.

Players will be able to keep their saved progress if they are helping out a friend on some levels. Once players return to their own adventure, their progress will be carried over to their local game.

Finally, PS4 and PS5 cross-play and cross-save functionality have been added to Sackboy: A Big Adventure. Players will be able to transfer their saved data directly through the "Extras" menu item in the pause menu. After, you will just need to follow the directions.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is currently available for the PS4 and PS5. If you are interested in picking the game up, make sure to check out DualShockers' official review right here.

The post Sackboy: A Big Adventure Received a Multiplayer Update Today by Grant Huff appeared first on DualShockers.

Among Us Coming To Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One in 2021

Among Us Xbox One Xbox Series X Series S Release 2021

After getting a surprise announcement and release on the Nintendo Switch just a couple of days ago, it looks like one of this year's biggest hits, Among Us, will be coming to more consoles soon.

The deceitful party game, which up until a few days ago was exclusive to PC and mobile devices, is set to come to Xbox Game Pass for PC today and Microsoft has confirmed the fun won't stop there. In a tweet, they shared that the game will be coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles as well as Xbox Game Pass at some point in 2021, though they didn't share in what timeframe next year.

Although the game only launched on the Nintendo Switch two days ago, developers Innersloth delightedly shared that it is already sitting pretty atop the eShop charts. In the tweet, they humbly thanked fans for their support in helping Among Us reach such lofty heights.

The game originally launched back in 2018, however, found major success this year as players looked to find different ways to connect with friends and family during the pandemic. The title's resurgence has proved unstoppable and it's no surprise that companies like Nintendo and Microsoft want to get involved. It wouldn't be a shock to see Sony announce a PS4 and PS5 release at some point soon.

During the game's surge in popularity, the developers announced they would be working on an Among Us 2, something which they later retracted in order to focus on improving the first game. The game is now starting to bear the fruits of the development team's labours as the next level, Airship, is due out soon.

Among Us has been so popular over the last few months that it has started to transcend the world of gaming. The title has, for some reason, become a very popular search on PornHub and has also been streamed by US politician AOC.

The post Among Us Coming To Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One in 2021 by Sam Woods appeared first on DualShockers.

Control Senior Writer Joining Fable 4 Team as Lead Writer

Fable

Signs so far for the upcoming Fable title from Playground Games are looking good. The Fable 4 team has recently acquired a talented lead writer in the form of Anna Megill, who held a prominent role in the development of Control.

While you may not recognize her name, you're sure to recognize her work. Megill has been in game development for a whopping 16 years, working on games for ArenaNet, Arkane Studios, Nintendo, and Square Enix. However, her most recent work may e her most notable. Megill was a senior writer and narrative lead at Remedy Entertainment while the studio worked on Control.

Megill is leaving a position at The Division developer Massive Entertainment to join UK-based Playground Games. The team she is joining is already packed with talent from other renowned development studios. Playground Games has game dev veterans from Rocksteady, Rockstar, Ninja Theory and Gearbox Software on its team.

Microsoft revealed that it was producing another entry in the long-running Fable series at an Xbox games showcase this past July. No other details on the game, such as a release date or even what form it will take have been revealed.

On Twitter, Megill expressed her excitement for this position. "Fable holds a special place in my heart," wrote Megill. "It came out the year I started in gamedev, and it's the first game I played with a developer's eye." I am personally beyond excited to see what the writer on a twisted and strange game like Control can bring to the world of Fable 4.

The post Control Senior Writer Joining Fable 4 Team as Lead Writer by Otto Kratky appeared first on DualShockers.

DualShockers' Holiday Gift Guides 2020 — The Most Notable Collectibles and Merch to Cop

You're not a real gamer unless you are decked out in video game clothing or have gaming collectibles strewn all about your home, right? As such, it's important to ensure that you have as many gaming-related items as possible to ensure that your gamer license doesn't get revoked.

Collectibles and assorted gaming merchandise can come in all different shapes, sizes, and price ranges. Fortunately for you, we've got a handful of different ideas this year that will cover all of these bases and assist you with your own seasonal shopping just a bit.

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.

game and watch

"Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is definitely made for collectors, and if you're not one, then you won't find much fun here for very long. […] It really does looks great and Nintendo did a fantastic job retaining the retro style while bringing it into 2020 with some flair. It will fit into any retro fan's library as part of Mario's storied history and will assuredly prove to be a popular stocking stuffer this holiday season for that Nintendo lover in your life."

–Product Link

–DualShockers' Review

-Price: $49.99

Annapurna Interactive Deluxe Limited Edition for PS4

If you know someone who is a big fan of collecting physical games, this is one item this holiday season that you might want to give some serious attention. Publishing label Annapurna Interactive is releasing an 8-game collection of some of its most popular releases on PS4 in a sleek set of packaging. Two of the games, Telling Lies and Gorogoa, have also never been released in a physical format before until this collection. iam8bit is only making 2,000 versions of this bundle as well, meaning that it will surely be a sought after item for years to come.

–Product Link

-Price: $199.99

Ori Collector's Edition

Sticking with iam8bit products, perhaps the company's most notable collector's edition of the year is for Ori and the Blind Forest and Will of the Wisps. The bundle comes in a gorgeous box that contains not only both Ori installments but also includes a sketchbook, pin, various pieces of art, and digital codes to download the soundtrack for either title. It's also available across Switch, Xbox One, and PC. If you know someone who is a major fan of the Ori games, this is one collection that they'll surely fall in love with.

–Product Link

-Price: $149.99

Sonic the Hedgehog Face Mask

Even though 2020 is about to wrap up, we'll likely all still be wearing face masks out in public well into next year. As such, why not cop a Sonic the Hedgehog mask for those in your life this year? Even though this might be seen as a gag gift, this is one item that any potential recipients might get some real use out of. We might as well embrace the times we're living in, after all.

–Product Link

-Price: $14.95

Red Dead Redemption 2: Original Score Vinyl

For our money, Red Dead Redemption 2 boasts one of the best original scores of any game released over the past few years. If you know someone who shares that opinion and is a collector of vinyl, Rockstar's official double LP is worth a look. Boasting 24-songs in total, the RDR2 comes in an extremely nice set of packaging, with each vinyl also being entirely transparent, which is a cool touch. Best of all, this package isn't too expensive, either. This would surely be a great addition to the vinyl library of anyone that you might know this holiday season.

–Product Link

-Price: $29.99

Persona 5 Joker Statue

Okay, if you're really looking to put a dent in your bank account this year, here's one item that will do just that. Prime 1 Studio's Persona 5 Joker statue is one of the nicest looking collectibles we have seen this year. While it comes in at a gaudy $700 price tag, this build's quality is immaculate and contains a handful of customizable pieces. The only downside is that this statue won't arrive until late 2021 at the earliest. Still, if this is something you truly did buy for someone in your life this season, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to wait a bit.

–Product Link

-Price: $699

Banjo-Kazooie Statue

While we're talking about shattering your bank account for expensive statues, let's take a look at this Banjo-Kazooie model from First4Figures. Typically retailing for $429, this statue features the iconic bear and bird soaring through the air, with the base of the items being made up of Jiggies and Notes. Currently, if you want to get the item directly from First4Figures, you'll have to be placed on a waitlist, but if you're willing to pay a bit more, you should be able to snag it on Amazon and get it delivered before Christmas Day.

–Product Link

-Price: $429-$525

PlayStation Clothing/Merchandise

The PlayStation Gear storefront typically has a cool lineup of merch to buy, but it has recently gotten a whole new wave of items to coincide with the release of the PS5. Much of this includes new t-shirts, jackets, beanies, and other clothing options, but there are also some rad backpacks, bottles, and additional random items for sale. If you know a big PlayStation fan in your life, the chances are that you can't go wrong with most of what's available from this shop.

–Product Link

Spider-Man: Miles Morales Adidas Superstar Shoes

One of the cooler cross-promotional gaming items that has been released in recent memory comes with Adidas' new Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Superstar shoes. The real-life version of these kicks are identical to the ones that Miles himself wears in the recently released video game. The only negative with these sneakers is that Adidas has sold out of its initial stock, meaning that you cannot buy them for the retail price any longer unless a restock occurs. Luckily, the resale value of this pair isn't too high, meaning you won't have to break the bank if you're looking to pick these up for someone in your life.

–Product Link

-Price: $99-$200

Xbox Clothing/Merchandise

Of course, if we're going to highlight some of the cool new PlayStation merch, we also have to look at Xbox and some of the rad new items that it has released. The Xbox Gear store has let loose a lot of new clothing to line up with the release of the Xbox Series X, but it also has several other collectibles. Whether you're a fan of Halo, Gears of War, or just the Xbox brand as a whole, there are a ton of cool products you can pick up from this shop, all of which come in at pretty reasonable prices, too.

–Product Link

For more of our top shopping suggestions this season, be sure to check out our other Gift Guides dedicated to the year's best video games and hardware/accessories.

The post DualShockers' Holiday Gift Guides 2020 — The Most Notable Collectibles and Merch to Cop by Logan Moore appeared first on DualShockers.