Destiny 2 suffering from Weasel network errors and disconnects as the next-gen versions go live

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but it seems like a launch for Destiny 2 is not going smoothly. Earlier this evening the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game went live but you really had to mess around to get the PS5 version. Those who did manage to get everything installed happily logged on.. and then got kicked off.

The servers seem to be having problems and many people are reporting the Weasel error code, which is related to network issues. The issue is occurring on both PlayStation and Xbox and both Reddit and Twitter are full of people reporting the error code.

"We are currently investigating various error codes related to connection issues. These issues may be causing Destiny 2 characters to not appear through the API. Stay tuned for updates," tweeted Bungie.

That's not the only issue, "Due to a recent fix for PS4 friends lists, PS4 players will be unable to view their online friends in their Roster until December 14th when the issue will be resolved in a hotfix," add Bungie, "As a workaround, players can use their PS4 Friends List from their PS4 home screen or Quick Menu."

There also seems to be a fun bug with the trophies as spotted by TSA Destiny Clan member Posem who can claim the world record for the fastest PS5 Platinum trophy ever. As you can see from the picture below he got it by starting the game and earned it in less than five seconds.

If you are having trouble getting hold of the PlayStation 5 version of the game then you're not alone, Sony's awful store system has got a lot of people confused. Click this link for full details on how to get the upgrade.

We will keep an eye on the servers and let you know when things are back online.

 

Unto The End Review

When it comes down to it, Unto The End is a game about patience. Yes, there are fights and there's an overarching theme of exploration as you guide a man home after he got lost while hunting, but patience is the key. Your character may be armed with a sword, but one wrong block or swing and things are over, so anyone who goes in swinging mindlessly will be punished. Unto The End is not an easy game, but it is only as hard as you make it for yourself.

Setting off from his home at the base of a mountain to hunt food for his family, it soon becomes a trek for survival after he falls through a crevice in the woods and down into a cave system, a system that is far from uninhabited. In this world humans are not the only creatures with a society, as Woads living in the caves and mountain range. These Woads are not particularly welcoming to your arrival, and you will have to fight in order to survive and make it home.

At the beginning of the game, 2 Ton studios tell players that Unto The End is not like other fighting experiences, and that you have to be aware of everything. That includes the fact that in battle a strong enough hit can make your drop your sword leaving you defenceless, that even after a battle your character can bleed to death if any wounds are not tended too with supplies, which you can easily run out of. While that is quite significant difference, the core fighting is quite similar to other games in that you need to be aware of your opponent's attacks, and how to counter them.

The fighting itself is quite simple. One button does a low attack while another a high attack, you block using the analogue stick, and you can shoulder charge enemies to knock them down and get some hits in. Even though it is simple to learn you will likely die a lot.

Within the cave system and the mountain range there are different enemy types. Some will come up close with their own swords to fight, others will stand back and throw rocks or spears at you. There are also some boss like characters who can be much tougher to beat and can take you down in one or two hits.

Most fights will only involve one or two enemies but keeping an eye on each one and learning when to strike is key. It's not numbers that will overwhelm you here, but rather that they do not have set pattern attacks. You must learn how they will strike depending on their poses. Even then in some cases you need to be quick to change how you are blocking, or duck and roll away from danger. As you get used to the system some fights will feel easier, but the game is never without challenge for long. Some fights can be frustrating but the game does have an assist setting you can activate that slows enemy attacks down so you have more time to work out what to do.

You can avoid some fights entirely, not by running and hiding, but by offering up supplies to enemies as you get close to them. Do this successfully and you can move on. Like I said, you aren't faced with mindless fighters and as you make your way through the world you gain insight into what is happening below the surface. These creatures are at war with each other, so they really cannot be wasting fighters on you all the time.

The supplies you find include herbs that can help slow bleeding or be mixed into a tonic, leather, bones, and sticks. The leather, bones, and sticks can be used to craft a small throwable knife and armour improvements, though armour only has so much durability. You can find much better armour in the world if you explore instead of always pushing forward. Crafting has to take place at the campfires that litter the world of Unto The End, where you can also heal your wounds fully or do some light sparring to practice the combat methods of the game.

Unto The End has been described as a cinematic experience, and it is in a way. While playing it felt like the game had some inspiration from the film The Revenant combined with the atmosphere of games like Limbo. Its 2D art looks really nice with the environments being quite stark, though the times where foreground scenery blocks your view of an encounter are not exactly ideal.

My first run through the game took around five hours, though I missed one or two areas that could extend that a little. It's relatively concise, though some fights can be frustrating and hold you up but the pacing felt perfect.

Farming Simulator 19 free DLC dials up the realism

Focus Home Interactive and GIANTS Software have officially launched their newest update for Farming Simulator 19, introducing the Precision Farming DLC.

Available on all platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, this content is completely free to download for anyone who owns a copy of Farming Simulator 19.

The main focus in this "EU-approved" DLC is to promote eco-friendly friendly through the use of advanced technology. Virtual farmers will now have an extended set of tools available to them in-game as explained in the tutorial video.

You can now purchase equipment to help analyse your fields and generate a soil map, showing exactly where your crops will have the best yield. Analysis can be costly – especially on higher difficulty – though will reward patient players with valuable intel.

Players can also monitor the pH values of their soil as well as the Nitrogen levels of growing crops, reviewing even more data than ever via the game's map/menus. In short, Farming Simulator 19 has layered on some extra realism for those die-hard fans.

"We're excited to elevate the aspect of realism in Farming Simulator with the expertise of our partner John Deere while contributing to the solution of an agricultural challenge. We hope the new gameplay features will please our fans while spreading awareness of modern agricultural technology", says Christian Ammann, CEO of GIANTS Software.

At launch we awarded Farming Simulator 19 a respectable 7 out of 10:

I have mixed feelings about Farming Simulator 2019. For a biennial release, I would initially have expected more, so this might start off feeling like a large expansion rather than a new game. Get further into the game, you'll start to enjoy the new features and vehicles, and the little improvements build up to what is still an enjoyable farming game at heart. For newcomers, the initial grind might be off putting to some, but the wealth of things you can do in the game will keep you entertained for hours.

Source: Press Release

Rust PS4 and Xbox One versions delayed into 2021

Rust, the hugely popular sandbox survival game, has had its console release date pushed back into 2021 it's publisher has announced. The game is still coming, however.

Originally, Double Eleven and developer Facepunch Studios had planned to launch Rust on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this year, the game having released on PC in 2018 after several years in Steam Early Access.

Double Eleven cite development difficulties as the cause for the delay with staff having to collaborate remotely from home, a necessary shift for safety reasons though one that came as a hurdle for Rust's development cycle.

You can read their full statement here:

It's been a while since we shared anything in the public domain and as the end of 2020 is nigh, we want to confirm that Rust is still coming to console, just a little later than planned.

We love making great games and bringing them to new audiences, but that sometimes means taking a bit longer to get it right than we originally planned and comes at the unfortunate cost of the disappointment and trust of those who were so keen to play it upon launch.

Why have we been so quiet for so long? The world of games dev is a fickle beast; you never have the full picture up front and the development process often becomes more of a journey of discovery when bringing a PC title to console. As much as engaging with players is extremely important, we believe it also has to be meaningful and as we've been working away behind the scenes, we haven't felt ready to share anything with you yet.

As a company in 2020, a year that has brought very challenging times for many, we've felt very fortunate to be able to keep doing what we love. We've always had some remote workers but moving the entire company home to keep everyone safe has presented challenges as we've found new ways to work with each other in the new normal that this year had in store for us.

We're sorry that we haven't been able to bring you Rust on console in 2020 as planned. We know from all of the messages that you're excited to play it and we hope that with the dawn of 2021 we can restore your trust as we edge closer to being able to share something with you.

Source: Double Eleven

Predator Hunting: Grounds update 2.11 adds new class, "Beast Mode" DLC

Predator: Hunting Grounds has a new update available on both PlayStation 4 and PC, adding even more new content to the movie based multiplayer game.

You'll need to download and install patch 2.11 before you're able to hop in a match of Predator: Hunting Grounds. Before you do, you might want to check out some of the new content and features the developers at Illfonic have added.

American football fans can draft in Dante "Beast Mode" Jefferson as a new playable character, voiced and modelled by Marshawn Lynch. Chucking money at this new premium DLC will also get you early access to the B34S-T, Predator's first rocket launcher.

There's free content for everyone with this newest update, too. Chief among these additions in a new Fireteam character class, the OWLF Operative. With their own thermal suit, this class has been designed to confront the Predator while also being tough to track.

The Operative will be unlocked at level 40. The PDL (Proximity Detector Launcher) weapon will pop at level 43, the EMP Mine at 80, the Predator's Battle Axe at 85, and finally the Plasma Rifle Prototype at 135.

Illfonic have promised we'll be seeing even more of Predator: Hunting Grounds in 2011. If you're considering a romp through the jungle then make sure you read our Predator: Hunting Grounds review first. As for the latest patch notes you can grab them just below.

Predator: Hunting Grounds Update 2.11 Patch Notes

General

  • Fixed an issue where CrossPlay Linked Accounts that were searching for coming out of a Quickplay match would sometimes become stuck in the "Connecting" state
  • Fixed an issue where match can become desynced when host pauses during cinematic
  • Fixed an issue where the AI would sometimes have their full head covering display incorrectly
  • Fixed a crash that would sometimes occur when using the Field Syrette and another item in a specific way

Clash

  • Fixed an issue where the Predator selection countdown would sometimes display an incorrect timer

Fireteam

  • General
    • Fixed an issue where the Fireteam weapons and perks may sometimes reset after round cycling
    • Fixed an issue where the minimap icons would sometimes appear to be inconsistent between teammates
    • Fixed an issue where firing an impact grenade from the Hammerhead would cause the ammo functionality to change when playing as the support class
  • Gear
    • Grenade
      • Fixed an issue where the grenade projectile would not deal direct damage
      • Fixed an issue where the animation would not play correctly when throwing a grenade while crouched
  • Weapons
    • General
      • Significantly increased max range of all shotguns
    • CS-12
      • Increased damage of close ranged shots
      • Increased ammo pickups
      • Significantly increased max ammo
    • XDB-12
      • Reduced damage
    • Hammerhead
      • Reduced magazine size for grenade launcher attachment
    • Mercenary ('87)
      • Reduced magazine size for grenade launcher attachment
    • Grimtech 19
      • Increased damage
      • Increased ammo pickups
    • 1011-12
      • Increased ammo pickups
    • D34-D
      • Increased damage
      • Reduced splash damage range
      • Reduced ammo pickups

Predator

  • General
    • Increased armor of all Predators
    • Fixed an issue where the "Want some candy?" VO could be heard from anywhere on the map
    • Fixed an issue where the dead boar icons were smaller than intended on the minimap
    • Fixed an issue where the Predator was not holding weapons correctly in the loadout screen
  • Perks
    • [NEW] Ironside (Level 80)
      • Take reduced damage from behind while moving, healing, claiming, or performing a stealth kill
    • Dithered Lens
      • Increased cost from 2 to 5
    • Modified Reserves
      • Significantly increased energy regeneration gained from Modified Reserves
    • Impenetrable Resistance
      • Significantly increased the amount of damage resistance gained from Impenetrable Resistance
      • Increased cost from 5 to 6
  • Gear
    • Audio Decoy
      • Added Predator healing sounds
      • Added Predator eating sounds
      • Removed Predator pouncing sounds
  • Weapons
    • Plasma Caster
      • Reduced energy cost of fully charged Plasma Caster shots

Source: Illfonic

Predator: Hunting Grounds guides and more from TheSixthAxis

How to get the PlayStation 5 upgrade for Destiny 2: Beyond Light

Confusion abounds this afternoon as the expected release of the PlayStation 5 version of Destiny 2 seemed to go a little awry. Those who are already playing on PS5 got the 1.03 update but it was only 1.8gb, they were downloading the standard patch for the PS4 version and not the full PS5 upgrade.

With just minutes of the maintenance window to go and after many people had already downloaded the updated, Bungie clarified that the full PS5 version would not be available until 5pm GMT and you will need to do a manual update.

To get the PS5 version of the game you must go to the Destiny 2 page on the PlayStation 5 Store, click the three dots, and then select the PS5 upgrade.

If you do not have Destiny 2 already installed, the game now has a combined store page for Destiny 2 PS4 & PS5. In a dumb quirk of the PS Store on PS5, downloading Destiny 2 from this page will queue downloads for both PS4 and PS5 versions of the game, and both have very, very similar install sizes –  in the UK the game on PS5 is 60.519GB, while on PS4 the download is 60.703GB.

You obviously don't want two version of the same game on your PS5, so to figure out which download is which, start the download and then bring up the Destiny 2 game hub from the main menu or Game Library. You can tell which version of the game you are viewing from the top left corner of the screen. If it says 'Destiny 2' it's the PS5 version, if it says 'Destiny 2 | PS4' it… isn't.

Tap on the download progress bar and note the total file size of the versions, then open the download queue via the PS button > Downloads/Uploads and cancel the relevant download.

Or cancel both downloads once they've started, find Destiny 2 in your Game Library, make sure it's the PS5 version page and tell it to download.

On Xbox Series X|S, the enhanced update will automatically download via Smart Delivery.

UPDATE: If you have not already installed Destiny 2 on your PS5 you will have to start downloading the 'free' version of the PS4 game, then click on the triple dots when it's downloading and select the "FULL PS4" version to download, and then from the full version you can then click on the three dots and download the PS5 version. What a mess!

Here are the next gen enhancements that have been introduced for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

Feature Xbox Series X PlayStation 5 Xbox Series S
Resolution 4K 4K 1080p
Framerate 60fps 60fps 60fps
120hz Crucible Support Supported* Supported* Not Supported
Field of View Slider Yes Yes Yes
Faster Load Times Yes Yes Yes
Cross-Generation Play Yes Yes Yes
Next-Generation Upgrade Free Xbox Smart Delivery Yes Xbox Smart Delivery

 

  • Option for customizable Field of View (FOV) has been added to the Settings > Video menu.
  • Option for 120Hz Crucible Mode has been added to the Settings > Video menu.
  • Updated controller rumble feel on the DualSense Controller.

The full patch notes for update 3.01 have now been released and you can read them all here. While Destiny 2 was offline Bungie dropped news of what is to come next year and the big ticket item is that cross-platform play is confirmed for 2021. They are also going to add DDOS protection for Destiny 2 players on all consoles during Season 13, along with two new strikes, Fallen S.A.B.E.R. and Devil's Lair. Legendary and Master Lost Sector rotation will be also e expanded during that season to include Lost Sectors on the moon, and there will be three new pieces of Exotic armour to collect. For more on that, click here. 

Source: Bungie

Cross-platform and more confirmed for Destiny 2 during 2021

While Destiny 2 is offline for an hour as Bungie get things ready for today's big next-gen version they have dropped news of what is to come next year and the big ticket item is that cross-platform play is confirmed for 2021. There's no details on how that would work but I would assume it would be PlayStation, Xbox and PC, and possibly those on Google Stadia as well. However, most other games restrict matchmaking against with PC players who are not using a controller, so I expect in game events like The Crucible to be restricted in some way.

Bungie are also going to add DDOS protection for Destiny 2 players on all consoles during Season 13, along with two new strikes, Fallen S.A.B.E.R. and Devil's Lair. Legendary and Master Lost Sector rotation will be also e expanded during that season to include Lost Sectors on the moon, and there will be three new pieces of Exotic armour to collect.

The Vault of Glass raid will also be returning but no date has been give, and Transmog will arrive in Season 14. This is a new feature that will allow you to customise any piece of existing armour so it looks like another piece, but retains the stats. Basically it's a nicer version of the Armour 2.0 system that is already in place.

Bungie have also detailed how weapons drops will work in Season 13.

In Season 13 we will continue to allow all players to gain Season 11 and Season 12 weapons in the world drop pool while Season 10 weapons will be obtainable through a more prescriptive source. This means that Legendary engrams will no longer reward these soon-to-expire weapons. If you want to chase a specific piece of soon-to-be-capped loot, you'll find it with the Gunsmith. This is all part of our larger commitment to making sure that players can always earn anything they might need to take on challenging activities. That said, this will require a few exceptions and some updates to the live game.

As far as exceptions, we don't plan on adding methods for players to acquire holiday weapons like the Braytech Werewolf outside of participating in those yearly celebrations. For updates, this does mean in Season 13 we will be adding limited time quest weapons like Felwinter's Lie, Whisper of the Worm, and Outbreak Perfected to the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower.

There's also some good news for those who like new guns…

Even as Season 12, the Deep Stone Crypt, and the full breadth of Europa weapons came online, the total count of weapons in Beyond Light is lower than we want. So, we're making the commitment now that our future annual releases will have more weapon rewards than Beyond Light or Shadowkeep.

Source: Bungie

Planet Zoo: Aquatic Pack and update 1.4 are out now

Frontier Developments have released the Aquatic Pack and update 1.4 for Planet Zoo, adding a bunch of new watery content into the game, Animal Talks and more. The expansion is out now and cost £7.99 / $9.99 / €9.99, but the free update has plenty to offer as well!

As you'd expect, the Aquatic Pack adds some fantastic new watery animals to the mix, with five of them in particular. There's the Diamondback Terrapin, the Giant Otter, Curvier's Swarf Calman, Grey Seal and King Penguin.

Obviously, you'll be trying to design watery enclosures for each of these, with foliage, scenery and zoo construction pieces that will all meet that. You can adorn the areas with new murals to depict wild jungles and icy tundra, reflective materials, animal sculptures and cascading waterfalls. There's over 170 pieces to combine to create your perfect park.

A new timed scenario is also be included, set in Oregon, USA and tasking you with creating a zoo based in a drained riverbed. It's water-centric, but will challenge players with space restrictions and lots of elevation.

Alongside the paid DLC, there will is free content added in update 1.4 for the game – actually, Frontier have skipped 1.4 and released 1.4.1 with some additional fixes. This includes new foliage and enrichment items, educational animal talks for visitors to go on, quality of life updates, and a free new timed scenario set in the Philippines.

Here's the full update notes:

Planet Zoo update 1.4.1 patch notes

Animals

NEW* – Deep Swimming

    • Brand new for 1.4 is the deep swimming system. All habitat animals in the Aquatic pack are equipped with the ability to deep swim, additionally we have also added deep swimming to the Saltwater Crocodile.
    • Deep swimming animals are able to swim smoothly underwater, using a combination of a flexible spine and subtle animations. Each species will balance their need to swim against other types of behaviour, such as those on land. They are also capable of eating from the new underwater feeding station.

NEW* – Deep Water

    • Deep swimming animals require a minimum area size and depth in their habitat, and will only display deep swimming behaviour if this requirement is fulfilled. Specific species may have their welfare affected if these space requirements are not met.
    • This information is located in the animal info UI and related information panels:
      • Water depth requirements are present on info panels next to the existing land and surface area requirements.
        • Zoopedia: Natural Habitat section
        • Animal info panel: Terrain tab
        • Habitat info panel: Terrain tab

NEW* – Underwater Feeder 

    • The Underwater Box Feeder, a new feeding station, will be available for everyone as part of the 1.4.0 update. All deep swimming animals (Saltwater Crocodile from the base game and the Aquatic Pack animals) will be able to use this in game.
    • When using this feeder, like any other food enrichment, its Information Panel will provide you with details on its food capacity, usage by animals, and food suitability.
    • Additionally, there will be a status bar that will tell you if the feeder has been placed in deep enough water for the fish particles to appear. If the feeder has not been placed deep enough keepers will not fill the feeder and animals will be unable to use it.

General Animal Bug Fixes and Improvements

    • Fixed incorrect numbers displayed on lifetime stats for exhibits.
    • Updated the Red Eyed Tree Frog and Golden Poison Frog population numbers to reduce rapid breeding into low welfare. Players should find these 2 species easier to use.
    • Fixed an issue where the animal storage would allow exceeding the 50 animal limit which could lead to performance issues.
    • Adjusted Polar Bear, Arctic Wolf, and Reindeer info boards so that the maps now reflect distinct areas between Arctic and Antarctic.
    • Exhibits – Humidity is now set to the ambient temperature automatically on exhibit placement, instead of being variable to ambient until set. This should make feedback more consistent and obvious.
    • Added detail on bonding information inside the Social tab for animals that have a single mate. If an animal is currently mourning for their missing mate, it will temporarily prevent a new bond from being formed.
    • Extended biomes for some animals based on player feedback and research:
      • Desert:
        • Cheetah
        • African Wild Dog
        • Common ostrich
      • Taiga:
        • Giant Panda
        • Formosan Black Bear
    • Made the small ball enrichment's available to the Arctic wolf.
    • The Indian rhino will now sometimes prefer to walk in shallow water, in addition to its usual land-based walking and surface swimming behaviours.
    • Fixed Dingo disappearing when moving camera closer to the body while using the Water Pool Enrichment.
    • Fixed a bug where social grouping and follow behaviours sometimes ended prematurely, resulting in diminished herding.
    • General audio bug fixes and improvements

New Content

Timed Scenario

    • A new timed scenario set in the mountains of Luzon. Help push conservational awareness by transforming disused rice terraces into a beacon of conservation ready for the grand opening ceremonies. Available in the free 1.4 update.

Animal Talks

    • As a new way to educate and entertain your guests, Animal Talks can now be scheduled in your zoos. Guests will gather at the designated talk point to watch a live presentation held by an Educator to learn about the animals in your zoo.
    • Animal Talk points are purchased from the Education facilities menu and can be freely placed around paths in your zoos.
    • Animal Talks can be customized and scheduled on the point's info panel.
      • Select a nearby species as the target of the presentation.
      • Schedule at which time of the year the Animal Talk will be held.
      • Set the mood for upcoming talks by selecting music to play while not active.
    • Clever placement of Animal Talk points next to habitats with low enough barriers will allow the Educator to feed some animals during their presentation.
    • Some of the more curious animals in your zoos will be interested to check out just what your guests are looking at. Keep an eye out for some bold individuals showing off!
    • A new staff type, the Educator, has been added to the game to tend to Animal Talks.
      • Educators can be hired through the staff panel like any other staff member.
      • They can be assigned specific Animal Talks via the workzone manager, or will take care of Animal Talks autonomously.
      • Like other staff members, Educators can be trained to maximise the impact Animal Talks have on your guests.
    • The new Animal Talks management UI helps you keep an overview of all talks scheduled and available in your zoo.
    • New Animal Talk animations and audio have been added to a select list of adult animals, which have a chance to play during an Animal Talk in their habitat:
      • African Elephant
      • African Wild Dog
      • Arctic Wolf
      • Bengal Tiger
      • Bonobo
      • Bornean Orangutan
      • Colombian White-faced Capuchin Monkey
      • Common Ostrich
      • Common Warthog
      • Dingo
      • Giant Otter
      • Giant Panda
      • Grey Seal
      • Grizzly Bear
      • Himalayan Brown Bear
      • Hippopotamus
      • Indian Elephant
      • Indian Peafowl
      • Indian Rhinoceros
      • Japanese Macaque
      • King Penguin
      • Mandrill
      • Polar Bear
      • Pygmy Hippo
      • Red Ruffed Lemur
      • Ring Tailed Lemur
      • Saltwater Crocodile
      • Siberian Tiger
      • Snow Leopard
      • Spotted Hyena
      • Timber Wolf
      • West African Lion
      • Western Lowland Gorilla

Water Temperature Regulator

With Update 1.4, we'll be adding a new Water Temperature Regulator facility that will allow you to customise the temperature of all water volumes within its range. This will help you have full control over the welfare of animals that like to spend a lot of time in the water, which will allow you to ensure your animals have maximum comfort in your care.

Using the Water Temperature Regulator Information Info Panel, the facility can be customised to suit the layout and requirements in your zoos, as you'll be able to:

    • Adjust the Regulator's effective range
    • Adjust the target temperature all water volumes in range should be regulated to
    • There will also be a new Heat map mode added to the Water overview for the Water Temperature Regulator, that will show you:
      • The current range of each Water Temperature Regulator in your zoo
      • The temperature each Water Temperature Regulator is set to
    • The temperature of each volume of water in your zoo

Transport ride management screen

  • Update 1.4 will include a new management screen that will summarise all of the Transport rides in the zoo. This screen will enable you to make faster and more accurate decisions about your transport rides to better manage your zoo.
    The new Overview Tab will inform you on:

    • The number of different rides
    • The most popular ride in your zoo
    • The most popular station in your zoo
    • The total annual profit for all rides
    • The total number of guests that have used the rides in the current year
    • The lifetime profit from the rides

    The Stats tab will break down each individual ride into more detailed information for you, by showing you:

    • Annual profit
    • Annual guests
    • Total track length
    • What stations guests are using
    • Each station's scenery rating

    The Management Tab will allow you to edit:

    • The number of trains (only while the ride is closed)
    • The number of cars per train (only while the ride is closed)
    • Maximum speed
    • Ticket price (per station)
    • The status of the ride (overall and per station)

New Scenery 

  • Font: Noto Sans Alphabet (Large, Small, and Planes)
  • Font: Boogaloo (Planes)
  • Decals Set (11 assets)
  • Barriers
    • New glass barrier variant with glass habitat gate
      • Features flexi colour posts to enable blending into faux rocks and terrain textures
  • Paths
    • 2 x New guest paths:
      • Natural Path
      • Water Path
    • 3 x New Queues Paths:
      • NEW – Wooden Queue Path (horizontal and vertical variants).
      • NEW – Duplicated "beach board" guest paths to the ride queue paths (horizontal and vertical variants).
      • NEW – Duplicated "natural" guest paths to the ride queue paths.
  • Foliage
    • Eel Grass (3x variants)
    • Weeping Willow (3x variants)
    • Lotus (3x variants)
    • Hydrangea (3x variants)
    • Temple Plant (6x variants)
    • Water Banana Plant (3x variants)
    • Virginia Creeper (5x variants)
  • General bug fixes
    • Fixed the Alpine Currant Small foliage displaying a black texture on its lower leaves when light is shined on it
    • Fixed Indian Street Light 01 & New World Decorative Lights Bracket adding to power cost when they do not produce light
    • The following three lights no longer require power as they use flames as a light source
      • African Lamp Post 01
      • East Asia Lamp Post 02
      • Indian Wall Light Metal 02
    • 33 new flipped quarter circle roof pieces to address this issue: https://www.reddit.com/r/PlanetZoo/comments/ecvpqy/how_do_you_rotate_the_pattern_in_floor_quarter/ Flipped versions are part of content packs, you'll receive the flipped versions for the content pack you've purchased

Game Modes

Sandbox

  • Staff are now fully trained staff on placement in Sandbox Mode.

Staff

  • Cash and Conservation Credit settings have been simplified when an unlimited amount is disabled.
  • Fixed Keeper tablet having a red screen when in use.

Guests

  • Fixed the missing clipboard from the Reporter who appears in some scenarios.
  • Updated a fix to the slim adult male guest shirts to all fit over trousers.
  • Fixed an issue where some users were reporting Protesters were still refusing to leave zoos.
  • Fixed dark and dim textures appearing on the protestor signs.

Zoo Construction

  • Fixed a bug where security cameras would not incur a yearly power cost.
  • Visual tweaks on clean water density and caustic values.

UI

Main Browser

    • Added a new category for lettering and decal scenery assets in the main browser.
    • Updated text for better clarity on the Education Menu categories.
    • Fixed issues with the path edit align to grid button being in the wrong state.

Franchise Mode

    • Multi-Select for Franchise Mode Animal Storage and rewards – Something that has been requested for a long time now, we're proud to bring you the multi-select tool to Franchise Mode Animal Storage! This will make it easier for you to manage your animals when the peacock breeding gets out of hand!

Info panels

    • Added "Out of Range" status to heaters and coolers. Heaters and coolers are limited so they can't go below / above the ambient temperature respectively, so the UI now shows this.
    • Habitat info panel – Fixed the value next to the food icon under 'Maintenance' on the not showing the correct value.
    • Shop info panel have been updated with minor improvements including new shop brand images.
    • Info panel tabs are now saved when switching between different animals.

Heatmaps

    • Vandalised objects for DLC 2-4 will now appear in heatmap.
    • Added lights found missing from the power heatmap.
      • South American Wall Light 02
      • Koala Light
      • Australian Wall Light
    • Added a specific water temperature heat map to the game.

Help Topics

    • New help topics for:
      • Animal talks
      • Educator
      • Water temperature regulators
      • Water temperature heat map
      • Water depth
      • Reporters
    • Updated help topics for:
      • Inspectors

Management Screens

    • Added "deselect all" support to animal storage tabs.
    • Fixed Animal Market list displaying the first entry cut in half.
    • Fixed the Salary slider in the Zoo Management > Staff not allowing the player to click and hold.
    • Fixed the Guest Facilities menu not displaying running costs.
    • Fixed No highlights used in management and animal list.

Settings

    • Fixed heatmap temperature units remaining in Celsius when game units changed to Fahrenheit in the settings interface.
    • Fixed FXAA option to provide correct visual effect.

Localisation

  • Fixed some of the Rusted and Painted Metal Rods having incorrect sizes in their name.
  • Fixed Glass Pane Rectangle 4m x 4m and 4m x 2m being mislabelled.
  • Fixed Inconsistent terms in the Animal trading/Habitat trading when accessing the same menu from object browser or trade centre UI.
  • Various localisation fixes.

Stability

  • Further crash and stability fixes.

Known Issues

  • Plant assets will disappear when placed in water if it has been duplicated from an existing asset.
  •  In Franchise and Challenge modes the new "Thick Glass" barrier type is not available to research if you load a save where the barrier research is already fully completed. The new "Thick Glass" barrier type is available in sandbox mode.

We gave the base game on PC a glowing review last year, with Dom writing in our Planet Zoo review:

Planet Zoo is simply wonderful; a bright and breezy park builder that gushes with enthusiasm for its charges. There's depth to spare here, pushing further than either of Frontier's most recent management games have, and it leans into its own identity, with a keen eye for the importance of education, animal welfare and preservation.

If you're after a park management sim, and have a PC, it's a fine option, and the Aquatics Pack will only expand it further.

Source: press release, Frontier

[UPDATE] Destiny 2 update 3.0.1 is rolling out bringing next-gen upgrades, patch notes here!

UPDATE: The next gen upgrade will not be available until 5pm GMT, full patch notes released and at the end of this post! If you are on PS5 you will not automatically get the PS5 update, details on how you can get it are here. 

Destiny 2 is about to get a little bit prettier as the next-gen upgrades should be rolling our right now, along with a new patch. Here's the timetable for today's events, remember UTC is the same as GMT.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

7:00 AM PST 1500 UTC
  • Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 maintenance is scheduled to begin.
  • Some Destiny Companion features may be unavailable on Web, Mobile, and Third-Party Apps.
8:00 AM PST 1600 UTC
  • Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 will be brought offline for expected maintenance.
  • Players will be removed from activities and won't be able to log back into Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 until 9 AM PST on December 8.
  • Destiny 2 Update 3.0.1 will begin rolling out across all platforms and regions.
9:00 AM PST 1700 UTC
  • Players will be able to log back into Destiny 1 and Destiny 2.
  • Players logging into the game may be placed in a queue, and may experience sign-on issues as background maintenance is still ongoing.
10:00 AM PST 1800 UTC
  • Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 maintenance is expected to conclude.
  • Console players who encounter issues updating to Update 3.0.1 should restart their console and try downloading the update.
  • Players who observe issues should report to the #Help forum.

Bungie have revealed that it will require a full re-download of the game, albeit handled through the regular update process. This won't affect the PS4, Xbox One or PC versions of the game, but will be a big old install for the new machines.

The estimated patch sizes for Update 3.0.1 based on platforms are as follows:

  • Xbox Series X|S 3.0.1's patch download size: ~70.0 GB
  • PlayStation 5 3.0.1's patch download size: ~67.0 GB
  • Xbox One 3.0.1's patch download size: ~2.35 GB
  • PlayStation 4 3.0.1's patch download size: ~2.09 GB
  • Steam 3.0.1's patch download size: ~1.5 GB

The download will be worth it though. Xbox Series X and PS5 will both run at 4K, while Xbox Series S will be at 1080p, but all will now run at 60fps, with PS5 and Series X both supporting 120Hz in the Crucible. Then there's the Field of View slide and even faster loading times with the full download enabling to adapt the file storage to the SSDs.

Here are the full patch notes!

NEXT GEN

Next-gen enhancements have been introduced for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
Feature Xbox Series X PlayStation 5 Xbox Series S
Resolution 4K 4K 1080p
Framerate 60fps 60fps 60fps
120hz Crucible Support Supported* Supported* Not Supported
Field of View Slider Yes Yes Yes
Faster Load Times Yes Yes Yes
Cross-Generation Play Yes Yes Yes
Next-Generation Upgrade Free Xbox Smart Delivery Yes Xbox Smart Delivery
General 
  • On Xbox Series X|S, the enhanced update will automatically download.
  • On PlayStation 5, players need to manually download the enhanced update.
  • Option for customizable Field of View (FOV) has been added to the Settings > Video menu.
  • Option for 120Hz Crucible Mode has been added to the Settings > Video menu.
  • Updated controller rumble feel on the DualSense Controller.

DESTINY COMPANION APP

Bounties
  • Players may acquire bounties from Destiny 2 vendors using the Destiny Companion App.
  • Bounties may only be acquired when players are offline, In orbit, or in t the Tower.
  • For additional information, please see this Help article.

SANDBOX

Exotic Armor 
  • Fixed an issue where being killed by the effects of Necrotic Grip would show as being "Killed by the Architects."
  • Fixed an issue where players with Stronghold Gauntlets couldn't block any Super damage with Swords despite the Exotic maximizing the Guard stats.
  • Improved the readability of the visual effects when another player wearing Mask of Bakris shifts directly toward you.
  • Updated the description string of Mask of Bakris's perk to correctly describe its damage bonus, which applies only to combatants and affects all arc weapon damage and all damage against slowed or encased enemies.
  • Additionally, fixed a bug where this damage bonus was applying to players who are slowed or encased in Crucible and Gambit.
Stasis Abilities 
  • Fragments
      • Tuned "Whisper of Bonds" to grant a flat 2.5% Super energy per trigger.
Weapons 
  • Duality
      • Duality's icon didn't match correct weapon tray icon.
      • Fixed an issue where Duality's custom ADS fire audio wasn't playing.
  • The Lament
      • The Lament icon did not appear appropriately in Crucible feeds.

ACTIVITIES

Beyond Light Campaign 
  • Beyond Light Exotic quest missions now properly display recommended Power Level on their map nodes.
  • Kridis no longer spawns before players have completed the previous mission objective.
New Light 
  • Fixed an issue where veteran players could not access the Tower while Mission Advent was available.
  • Fixed an issue with the New Light subclass quest where Ikora's waypoint was suppressed.
  • Fixed an issue where the descent cinematic did not play for The Disgraced strike.
  • Fixed an issue where veteran players with two characters of the same class were blocked from acquiring their subclasses.
  • Fixed a bug where a step on the New Light pursuit was not granting experience.
  • Fixed an issue where abandoned Memory quests were not available in the Quest Archive vendor in the Tower.
  • Fixed an issue where players who skip the Shotgun chest in M0 did not receive Special ammo when the Shotgun was granted.
  • Fixed an issue where players could reacquire Riskrunner during the Risk/Reward mission.
Deep Stone Crypt 
  • Fixed an issue where Taniks could go into hellfire phase early before any fireteam member could collect an augment.
  • Fixed an issue where players would not get a third DPS phase on the second loop of dunking all four cores.
  • Fixed an issue where the Short Circuit Triumph was not possible.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause an unintended wipe during the second hellfire cast.
Last Wish Raid 
  • Fixed an issue where the final encounter was not rewarding Spoils of Conquest.
  • Fixed an issue where Kalli teleported out of the environment after a plate was captured.
  • Fixed various networking behaviors that were observed when playing through encounter transitions.
Garden of Salvation Raid 
  • Fixed an issue where text notifications would not appear when players initiated/completed puzzles.
  • Fixed an issue where tethers did not appropriately disrupt the boss under certain circumstances.
  • Fixed an issue where the Consecrated Mind drops its Minotaur at the beginning of the raid.
Pit of Heresy 
  • Fixed an issue where the Ghost flashlight projection volume had no effect, making it hard to navigate the passage without light.
  • Fixed an issue where players could encounter back screens and hard wipes between encounters.
  • Fixed an issue where players could be killed transitioning between two areas.
Prophecy
  • Prophecy is once again available.
  • Powerful rewards may be earned from each checkpoint once per week.
  • Players may complete the dungeon once per week to obtain a pinnacle-powered reward.
  • Previously featured weapon and armor rewards are available once more.
Lost Sectors 
  • Master and Legend Lost Sector tooltips are easier to comprehend.
Stasis quests 
  • Aspects
      • Fixed an issue where "Tectonic Harvest" was not consistently generating shards for allies when destroying their crystals.
Nightmare Hunts 
  • Hard-wiping and defeating the boss at the same time will leave players in the Hunt after respawning.
Exotic quests 
  • Fixed an issue where the first line of dialogue played was muted at the beginning of the Malfeasance quest strike.
Crucible and Iron Banner 
  • Fixed an issue where the "Survivor" medal could be awarded to players who were defeated during the round.
  • Fixed an issue where the "Untouchable" medal could not be earned.
  • Updated the mercy rule for Control and Clash to prevent it from triggering too early in the match.
  • Fixed an issue where some map intro cinematics were taking place outside of the combat zone.
Strikes 
  • Fixed an issue where Outlaws were no longer spawned in Nightfall: The Ordeal.
  • Fixed an issue where Lurkers did not spawn after the counterweight encounter in the Hallowed Lair.
  • Fixed an issue where Super energy was drained when taking a lift in the Warden of Nothing.
  • Fixed an issue where Guardians were unable to respawn if they died while in the process of destroying Protheon, Modular Mind, very quickly.
  • Fixed an issue where counterweights would reset if a player died after pushing them down.
  • Fixed an issue where combatants would disappear abruptly if a Guardian decided to speed run the Hallowed Lair strike while others were trying to complete bounties in previous encounters.
  • Fixed an issue where the Tank would despawn during the Arms Dealer strike when trying to enter another combat area.
Gambit 
  • Fixed an issue where the high-value target spawned too early.
  • Fixed an issue where catch-up targets would respawn too quickly after being cleared.
  • Fixed an issue where combatants would sometimes not move from spawn areas.

DESTINATIONS

Europa 
  • Fixed a rare case where the Conflux Watch Servitor in the public encounter for Empire Hunt: The Technocrat could become permanently immune.
  • Fixed an issue where players with full quest inventories could still purchase Fallen Empire and weapon quests from Variks.
  • Fixed an issue where flickering snow transitions could be seen when playing with a multi-GPU setup (Crossfire/SLI) PC (Crossfire/SLI).
Cosmodrome 
  • Added destination material spawns.
  • Added destination materials to Cosmodrome region chests.
  • Fixed an issue where Scorch Cannons were not respawning during the Heroic version of the Spider Tank public event.
  • Fixed an issue where flickering grass transitions could be seen when playing with a multi-GPU setup (Crossfire/SLI) PC (Crossfire/SLI).
Moon 
  • Fixed an issue where some combat encounters would not trigger appropriately.
  • Fixed an issue where a smaller number of players were able to matchmake in to certain areas than intended.
  • The terminals for the "tire game" appear disabled even when active.
  • Fixed an issue where Toland would not reappear if players moved away from a totem to complete the activity.
  • Fixed an issue where high-value targets had forgotten their names.
  • Names now appear above high-value targets appropriately.
Dreaming City 
  • Blind Well
      • Fixed an issue where the safety bubble would pop to its smallest size when a round was done instead of shrinking over time.
  • Fixed an issue where quest step notification for Petra's quest missions were showing a blank icon.
  • Fixed an issue where players could sometimes not interact with rally flags before public events.
Nessus 
  • Fixed an issue where the "Half Empty" patrol on Nessus is missing description text.
General 
  • Fixed an issue where Memory Fragment, Drone, and Ghost Story collectibles were still present on some destinations.
  • Fixed an issue where Hive crystal shields could cause a crash.

REWARDS

General 
  • Europa and Cosmodrome strikes now award destination materials upon completion.
  • Lunar Ghost Bundle no longer pops an erroneous "out of space" warning when opening.
  • Exotic armor awarded in solo PED Lost Sectors now drops on a knockout list.
  • Removed misleading "Limited Time" augment from Devrim Kay and Failsafe vendor items.
  • Fixed a bug preventing Rahool's icon from flashing when Beyond Light bonus items were available to claim.
  • Fixed a bug where some new armor mods had incorrect sources listed in Collections.
  • Fixed a bug where the Evasive Maneuvers raid perk would sometimes fail to activate if you switched to the mod in the middle of an encounter.
  • Fixed a bug where Icefall Mantle's description did not mention the slow field it generates when activated.

MISCELLANEOUS

Triumphs
  • Fixed an issue where The Hit List was not unlocking properly.
  • Fixed an issue where players would not receive appropriate Triumphs after defeating the Fanatic.
Monument to Lost Light 
  • Fixed an issue where the waypoint on the Exotic Archive vendor continues to flash for players who own all Exotics.
Collections 
  • Badges and Armor sets in Collections correctly select player's class.
  • Fixed an issue where the UI would forget which page the player was on after previewing an item in Collections.
UI 
  • Aspects and Fragments on the Stasis Subclass screen now appropriately display "Currently Applied" when they're applied in another slot.
Graphics 
  • Fix inverted colors in some dark areas when playing in HDR.

Source: Bungie

Hitman 3's latest trailer shows off the series' opportunistic gameplay

IO Interctive have released a new gameplay trailer for Hitman 3, showcasing the many opportunities you'll have as Agent 47 to get to your target.

Featuring footage from the new Dubai, Dartmoor and Chongqing locations, the voice over goes over the gameplay that the World of Assassination trilogy has excelled at, emphasising the need to take a patient, opportunistic approach to each level.

There will be new weapons and tools, such as a new camera that can open locks, while IOI are bringing back the Playstyles rating system that evaluates your, well, playstyle and approach.

On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game will support 4K visuals at 60fps with HDR, and get into levels quicker than ever thanks to SSD-powered load times. The Glacier game engine has been enhanced further to refine interaction animations and AI, while crowds now support up to 300 NPCs in a single location.

As with Hitman 2, Hitman 3 will gobble up the rest of the trilogy that has gone before. If you own Hitman and/or Hitman 2, you can import those levels for free into Hitman 3 and play through those levels and story with the enhanced graphics and gameplay.

Hitman 3 also supports PlayStation VR in a PlayStation exclusive, letting you play through the whole trilogy from a completely new perspective for the series.

Looking back at Hitman 2, I wrote in our review:

Building on the foundations of the 2016 game, Hitman 2 is full of the best Hitman stealth action yet. Yes, it's evolutionary in some ways, and you have to accept the series' idiosyncratic take on the genre, but there's space for it to keep growing with the return of Escalation missions and continuing Elusive Contracts. Whether you're a blackmailing pink flamingo, throwing briefcases at people, or getting robots to do your dirty work, the satisfaction of an expertly planned and executed hit is like nothing else.

You can read the full Hitman 2 review here.

Hitman 3 will be available on 20th January 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Google Stadia and PC. It will be coming to Switch via game streaming at a later date.

Source: press release

[UPDATE] Cyberpunk 2077 "Braindances" trigger epileptic seizures – Epilepsy charity calls for safety update

Cyberpunk 2077 has been getting plaudits left, right and centre from reviewers (on PC), but Game Informer Associate Editor Liana Ruppert has highlighted a very serious issue for those with photosensitive epilepsy. UK charity Epilepsy Action has now called for developer CD Projekt Red to issue an update for the game as a matter of public safety.

UPDATE 19:30 GMT: CDPR have now responded. "We're working on adding a separate warning in the game, aside from the one that exists in the EULA," they say. "Regarding a more permanent solution, Dev team is currently exploring that and will be implementing it as soon as possible."

The original article continues…

While many games feature disclaimers and warnings when they load up, highlighting that they may contain flashing imagery, Cyberpunk 2077 seems to be a game that could be especially triggering for epileptics. It's something to bear in mind when playing, but also something that game streamers need to be aware of.

On a base level, the game's visuals and cyberpunk vision of the future are heavily influenced by visual glitches. The character Johnny Silverhand is often surrounded by a blue flickering glitch effect, the game's menus and computer interface features red glitching animations (which are a particular trigger), and there are plenty of clubs and bars that feature strobing and flashing lights.

Ruppert explains that these moments can be managed through the use of TV and computer monitor colour adjustments, but one particular effect cannot: the Braindance.

This gameplay mechanic sees V given a headset that allows them to step into recorded memories of other. The in-game headset covers the view and then rapidly flashes white and red LEDs. This is an effect that neurologists use in real life to trigger seizures, and seems to have been mimicked for the game. It is a direct trigger that actually caught Ruppert unaware and cause her to have a seizure while playing the game to assist in Game Informer's review. That's furthered by Braindances then featuring a lot of overlapping, glitchy effects that, as explained above, can be triggering in their own right.

As of now, CD Projekt Red have not responded about the issue, but the charity Epilepsy Action has called for an update to the game. CDPR could do a lot to lessen the glitchiness of the visual effects through the user interface, but the most important point would be to remove the flashing LED effects when entering a Braindance.

In a press release, Louise Cousins, Epilepsy Action's director of external affairs, said:

We are alarmed and saddened that a game reviewer had a seizure triggered by Cyperpunk 2077, before it was even launched. The game features rapidly blinking lights and other animations that could cause seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. These features are unsafe and should have been avoided to make the game more accessible.  With huge demand and excitement building for its release, it may pose a serious risk to people with photosensitive epilepsy. The developers CD Projekt RED should consider how they can update the game to make it safer. A disclaimer warning at the beginning isn't enough.

87 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every day, and their first seizure can often come out of nowhere. Many people living with epilepsy can strive for many years to gain seizure control and it is devastating to have a breakthrough seizure. Seizures can cause injury and impact on things like driving, employment and education. In the worst cases, they can be fatal. For further information, visit https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/photosensitive-epilepsy.

Hopefully CDPR will be able to respond and react to this issue in the coming days. Cyberpunk 2077 is out on 10th December for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia, with support for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility.

Source: Game Informer, press release

Zombie Army 4: Season 2's second mission, Alpine Blitz, is out now

After all that zombie battling through the Zombie Army series, it's high time for the deadhunters to get a bit of time to relax on a lovely train ride up into the Alps.

What's that, you say? The train is also zombie infested? And there's a zeppelin hovering above that's probably going to blow you to smithereens unless you can get to an airfield and escape? Cool.

Alpine Blitz, the second mission for Zombie Army 4: Season 2, is out now for all platforms – PS4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AanSA82wjU

Alongside the new mission, this episode also includes some festive cheer with some new skins and weapons:

  • Holiday Season Headgear Bundle
  • Holiday Weapon Skins
  • Berserker Boris Outfit
  • SVT-38 Rifle Bundle
  • Sten MK2 SMG Bundle
  • Holiday Season Charm Pack

The third and final mission from Season 2 is expected in January 2021, though that's obviously subject to change. The teaser art on DLC Season 2's content roadmap hinting at an assault on the aforementioned zeppelin. We can also expect a few little extras in early 2021, such as a new Horde map that will be free for all.

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

The Wild Eight Review

Did you ever find yourself screaming at the TV during a particularly tense/confusing/baffling episode of the hit series Lost? Would you often shout at Jack, Sayid or Kate, "No you absolute numpties! Don't do that, you'll be sure to die!"? Deep down, do you believe you'd do a much better job of surviving on a very weird island? If so, then The Wild Eight is the chance for you to prove your survival abilities. Rather than a mysterious tropical island, The Wild Eight instead abandons its survivors, alone and scared, on the frozen tundra that is Alaska. Best bring a nice cable-knit jumper.

The Wild Eight is a survival game with a top down view and a polygonal visual aesthetic. Now, I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of survival games. I find many of them them dreadfully tedious, the chores of having to ensure my player character eats, sleeps, keeps warm and hydrated not being my idea of fun. I have enough trouble providing for my own body and keeping myself alive, so why would I want to have to keep a virtual entity from kicking the bucket too? I also get confused with the genre's penchant for having far too many stats to monitor and meters to routinely check. It's all very stressful and far too much like real work.

If you're like me, then you'll probably rather like The Wild Eight, it is without doubt the most accessible survival game I've very played. If you're not like me and you bloomin' love surviving virtually, then there's still a lot to like about The Wild Eight too.

There are three main elements you need to keep in the green to ensure your characters survival as they explore the icy wastes of their new home: health, food and temperature. It's an efficient focus and one that sums up the developer's accessible approach to survival. This isn't crazy complicated stuff, you just need to gather food and find resources to make fire; the challenge doesn't come from figuring out what you need to do, instead it's all about actually doing it, which is much more my thing.

The doing of it proves mighty challenging, as the desolate landscape is prone to being battered by terrifying blizzards that force you to desperately seek shelter and warmth before you freeze to death. There's also packs of wolves to avoid and, deeper into the game, far more terrifying fantastical creatures lurking in the dark. Suffice to say, surviving this foreboding land proved far too much for me on occasion – my avatar's corpses soon littered the snow like McDonald's packaging outside a drive thru.

Fortunately, death proves remarkably flexible in The Wild Eight. Your character will be reborn with all the skills they've acquired up until that point and, even better, you can go find your dead self to reacquire all your resources. Survivalist aficionados may well sniff their nose at this hand holding mechanic, but I found the speed that I could get back into the game remarkably refreshing. There was no punishing fail state to push through, instead I could get back to where I left off before a severe case of premature death with relative ease. In my opinion, it made this entry in the survival genre far more addictive than its peers.

There's a massive map to explore consisting of many grids. These grids are reshuffled at the start of each playthrough, so you can be guaranteed a new world to survive on each subsequent adventure. More importantly, each grid has something interesting in it. There's no long stretches of aimless wondering and there's always something new to discover, be that exploring sinister labs, restoring the lights in an underground bunker, or simply following power lines in a desperate attempt to find an escape. There's a nice variety of mission objectives to provide a purposeful structure to proceedings too. In short, The Wild Eight creates a lovely sense of mystery, there's a secret around every corner as you uncover the many, many weird goings on.

This all sounds very positive, but if you peaked at the final score before reading this review then you'll know that there's some problems here too. First and foremost is the torrid combat, which pretty much devolves into holding down the attack button whilst you and your opponent's health bars gradually diminish. I suppose you could run away, but that's really a waste of time, your stamina will quickly diminish and you're more likely to stumble across another group of enemies than actually escape. The game is at its best when you can avoid the deadly foes lurking in the shadows, but far too often though you're forced into a fight – any tension or drama is lost as your avatar stands still and wails away with an axe until they win or die.

Then there's the controls themselves which are overly finicky, resulting in confused fingers and muddled menu navigating. The transition from the mouse and keyboard set-up of the PC version to console controller hasn't been successfully handled and leaves you with a game that simply isn't intuitive to pick up. It's a tremendous problem in and of itself, things certainly get easier with practise, but the failure to light a fire because you couldn't access the right menu in time before a snow blizzard hits is immensely frustrating.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond has some bloody high minimum PC requirements

Respawn Entertainment have revealed the minimum PC requirements for Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond and, well…. I hope you're up for a bit of a giggle. They're pretty extreme, going well beyond the requirements of any major VR game release thus far.

Here's Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond minimum requirements:

  • Intel i7 9700K (or comparable AMD)
  • 16 GB DDR4 RAM
  • Nvidia RTX 2080 or higher
  • 340+ GB of space to unpack/install; 170 GB once installed; SSD or NVMe recommended

By contrast, here's Half-Life Alyx's recommended requirements:

  • Intel i7 9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
  • 16 GB DDR4 RAM
  • Nvidia RTX 2070 Super or AMD RX 5700 XT

That game, however, can run much lower, dropping to a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580 8GB for the GPU and pairing that with a Cor i5 7500 or Ryzen 5 1600. Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond goes, well, above and beyond that by a lot.

The key sticking point won't be the CPU or RAM – a 9700K is from late 2018 and per Half-Life Alyx, the incredibly popular Ryzen 3600 will be a comparable CPU thanks.

Even if you insist on an 8-core CPU, Steam's hardware survey reports that a little over 10% of PC gamers (Steam having 90 million monthly users) have an 8-core CPU, and we can extrapolate that a decent slice of those will have an appropriate CPU. There will be a healthy overlap between high-end PCs and VR gamers as well, so even though only 1.96% of Steam users have VR, you can probably bet on a decent mid-high-end PC powering it.

No, the real problem is the GPU requirement.

The Nvidia RTX 20 series was already not that popular amongst gamers, not really giving a major step forward in performance over the 10 series that went before and its headline ray tracing features coming at a high cost in performance. The RTX 30 series that has just been released is seemingly much more in demand (going by how difficult it is to find stock!).

Going by Steam's November survey, just 2.77% of their PC gamers have an RTX 2080, RTX 2080 Super, RTX 2080 Ti or RTX 3080 – the RTX 3090 does not chart. That number will have climbed with the release of the RTX 3070 on 29th October, but it's still a tiny percentage of gamers to target.

In fairness, the barrier for entry is coming down. While the RTX 2080 debuted as a $699 card in late 2018, it was superceded at the same price point by the speedier 2080 Super a year later. The RTX 30 series has made a huge leap forward in performance, such that the RTX 3060 Ti is a match for the 2080 Super performance but costs $399. Still almost the price of a PS5 or Xbox Series X on its own, but a whole lot cheaper…. if you can find one in stock.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will be coming to PC VR via Oculus and Steam on 12th December.

Source: Polygon

Warhammer 40,000 Darktide gameplay reveal set for The Game Awards

With The Game Awards taking place in just a couple of days, the show's line-up is steadily coming into focus.

While the awards show is likely to be crammed with surprise reveals and announcements, some developers have gotten out ahead of the event to confirm their (virtual) attendance.

Swedish studio Fatshark have revealed that Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will be making its gameplay debut during The Game Awards 2020. They haven't confirmed exactly what Warhammer fans will get to see though it's very likely the trailer will present a slice of grimdark co-op survival action.

After all, Fatshark is the same team that brought us the very popular Warhammer: Vermintide and its sequel. Both titles are focused on first person hack n' slash gameplay as groups of four carefully tread through levels overrun with hordes of fodder enemies and tougher elites. Darktide could well be a sci-fi counterpart to this, swapping mages and Skaven, for guardsmen and chaos horrors.

If you're looking for more Darktide clues, here's the game's official blurb:

Fight together with your friends against hordes of enemies in this new Warhammer 40,000 experience. From the developers of the best-selling and award-winning co-op action franchise Vermintide, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a visceral 4-player co-op action game set in the hive city of Tertium.

In the depths of the hive, the seeds of corruption threaten an overwhelming tide of darkness. A heretical cult known as the Admonition seeks to seize control of the planet Atoma Prime and lay waste to its inhabitants. It is up to you and your allies in the Inquisition to root out the enemy before the city succumbs to Chaos.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is currently planned for release in "2021" and will appear on both PC and Xbox Series X|S as a timed exclusive.

The Game Awards will be streaming on December 10th at 11:30PM UK time. Here are more details on where you can watch.

Source: Steam

Hood: Outlaws & Legends gets four new story trailers

Announced back in August, Hood: Outlaws & Legends was revealed in the State of Play stream. The game will be coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2021 and ahead of The Game Awards, where new details on the game will be released, we have four trailers giving us some background on the four characters you can play in the game.




Following the legend of Robin Hood, you will create your own character and assemble a team of outlaws to steal from the oppressive State. You aren't alone, however, with this PvPvE game pitting two teams of four Outlaws against each other in an attempt to pull of a heist in a world filled with enemy AI guards.

The official description reads:

Faced with a merciless, unchecked state, rebels and rogues from every corner battle to claim their place among legends. To win influence with an oppressed people, rival gangs now compete in daring heists to hit the wealthy where it hurts. Folk hero or gold-hungry outlaw, only the best will escape with hard-earned riches. Gather your team of outlaws and attempt to steal treasure from an oppressive government in a dark and violent, medieval world. Two teams of players compete to execute the perfect heist, in environments patrolled by deadly AI guards. Utilise the unique skills and mystical abilities of each character, moving in stealth to steal treasures unseen or dominating through loud and brutal combat.

Announced in the State of Play stream and featured on the PS Blog, they're naturally going to praise the advantages of the next-gen hardware. The game will make use of the DualSense controllers improve haptic feedback, and given the setting, plenty of emphasis will be put on how drawing back on a bow and arrow will feel compared to a DualShock 4. However, they also say, "we'll have more details to share later on how the game will be optimised for each platform," and that will include plenty of optimisations for Xbox Series X.

Source: YouTube

 

DIRT 5 wheel support, more Online events & next-gen visual improvements coming in update 2.00

Codemasters are gearing up for a major update for their bombastic arcade racer DIRT 5. Update 2.00 is "right around the corner", bringing with it wheel support, further optimisations for next-gen consoles, more Online game modes, and more.

While it's absolutely an arcade racer and one that you can fully enjoy with a gamepad in hand, there's a certain cachet of racing fans that will always want to put their hands on their racing wheel peripherals.

Dirt 5 will be "using data and feedback from previous Codemasters titles", most specifically from GRID. If you've got a current Thrustmaster or Logitech wheel, chances are you'll be fully supported, while Fanatec wheels might be a little trickier, given their modularity, and support will grow after initial support has been added. On PC, Fanatec peripherals will typically work when connected to the wheel itself.

Head here for the list of supported wheels for GRID, to get a rough idea.

Beyond that, Codemasters will be adding more Online race events, including some multi-class races. They're also making adjustments to the handling of Sprint cars, and will be tweaking the discoverability in Playgrounds so that you can find the best content quicker.

Codemasters also have some work to do with the graphics settings, and will be adding V-Sync options on PS4. They're also making another pass on the next-gen versions of the game – this will likely be to address the disparity between PS5 and Xbox Series X in 120Hz mode, with Series X seeming to have lower quality visual settings compared to PS5, but having a steadier 120fps as a consequence.

There's no word on if update 2.00 will also feature the revised haptic and trigger feedback for DualSense controller that was promised around the launch of the PS5.

We expect patch notes to be available around the time of the update's release.

Dirt 5 is out now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Source: Codemasters

Spider-Man: Miles Morales update 1.06 is out, here's what it does

Insomniac Games have released a new patch for Spider-Man: Miles Morales, a small update that fixes the issue when selecting Day in the weather menu plus the usual performance tweaks. Here are the rather small patch notes:

New Features

  • Added messaging if player is playing PS4 app on PS5

General Fixes & Polish

  • Moved "Upgrade to Ultimate Edition" one menu up to the save selection screen. (PS5 only)
  • Fixed issue with selecting "Day" in weather selection
  • Improved stability
  • Performance improvements
  • Various additional fixes

In case you missed, Version 1.05 was also recently released and like the current patch, just had some small fixes:

General Fixes & Polish

  • Fixed various issues where the screen could go black while changing Time of Day
  • Fixed an issue where players could not change Suits in Photo Mode
  • Fixed an issue where the weather did not change correctly when selected by the player
  • Improved stability

We gave Spider-Man: Miles Morales 8/10 in our review. "Spider-Man: Miles Morales feels like more of a sequel than it is a stopgap, entangling players within its web of cleverly refined mechanics while delivering some familiar web-slinging thrills," said Jim. "A heroic technical showcase for PS5 owners picking up their consoles on day one, this meaty side story in the Spider-Man saga has us even more excited than before to see what Insomniac Games have planned next."

You can read the full review here.  

Spider-Man: Miles Morales Guides & more from TheSixthAxis

Source: Insomniac

Call of the Sea Review

Call of the Sea has been turning heads for a while now, its preview footage promising beautiful, almost cel-shaded exploration and an emotional and mature story that takes influence from HP Lovecraft in an original way. Rather than focusing on the usual aspects of a descent into madness and evil tentacled deities working behind the scenes, Call of the Sea is billed as a story about an awakening from delirium and the acceptance of one's true nature.

Set in the isolated Pacific islands of the 1930s, Call of the Sea makes good use of this novel environment to create a sense of loneliness that seems at odds with the lush and fertile surroundings. Your character, Norah, travels to the island in search of her missing husband, Harry, who is looking for the cure to her mysterious illness. As you progress through the island you move from tropical paradise to stormy beaches and weird structures too large to be made by human hand. Whilst this would normally set the metaphorical scene for a character's increasing madness, here Norah instead begins to feel more at ease and physically recuperated as she delves further into the island's mystery.

Aesthetically, Call of the Sea is gorgeous. Everything is bright and bold with an organic style that looks like a cross between hand-painted and cel-shaded. In a year where new consoles and powerful graphics cards can push fidelity further than ever, it is great to see a game that makes full use of visual design rather than throwing extra textures at the screen to create its effect.

The voiceovers are excellent as well, with both Cissy Jones and Yuri Lowenthal bringing a real feeling of emotion to their performances as Norah and Harry respectively. Their recurring use of 'dear old pal' as a term of endearment gives an intimacy to their letters and voiceovers that really connects you to their story. The original music is a genuine highlight too and composer Eduardo de la Iglesia has done a fantastic job at matching the tunes to the setting and feel of the game.

Call of the Sea is a hybrid of walking simulator and environmental puzzles inspired by the likes of Myst and The Witness. Some of these involve finding objects to open up doors while others are far more elaborate and involve collecting clues from several locations to work out what to do. There were several occasions where I felt stuck enough to stop playing, but then went back after mulling them over and having an epiphany. The sense of satisfaction from solving a difficult puzzle is always great, and it really added to my enjoyment that I couldn't lean on a walkthrough as a crutch to get through. I would definitely recommend working through this with as few spoilers as possible, although it has to be said that it would be a shame to leave the story unfinished if you find yourself irrevocably stuck.

My only real niggle with the puzzles was that, with some of the more complex examples, it wasn't made clear that I hadn't yet discovered all the clues. A simple voiceover of 'I have everything I need', or 'I need to find out more' would have helped alleviate the frustration in at least one of my examples.

While it breaks out of the homogenisation of so many other Lovecraft adaptations, I was still a little apprehensive going into this game. Its use of a Polynesian setting could have resulted in a simplistic white saviour or noble savage narrative. Developers Out of the Blue made sure to bring in a consultant from the la Ora Tahiti International School, a foundation whose goal is to teach and promote Polynesian culture. As a result, the setting feels sensitively treated and the mystery aspects are not simply colonial fantasies.

Lovecraft's own bigoted representation of racial difference is well known by now and I shudder to think how this story would have worked in his hands. The fact that Call of the Sea features a female lead character feels like a substantial step forward and the game makes it clear that the primitive civilisation hidden on the island predates the human residents. Rather than a damsel in distress, Norah is an active protagonist who shows remarkable bravery and self-control throughout her story. The final decision of the game is unusual in that it cannot be simply reduced to a good or bad choice, and even after playing through both endings I couldn't tell you which I preferred or felt more true to the character.

I finished my playthrough after a little more than eight hours and was initially a little surprised at how soon the ending came. Looking back, the narrative is so well paced that it doesn't need to be stretched out and my surprise was more because of how much I was enjoying the game.

Cyberpunk 2077 Review Round Up – Where's our Cyberpunk 2077 review?

Time is up on the review embargo for Cyberpunk 2077, ahead fo the game's release on 10th December for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. However, as much as we'd love to share our opinions and give a verdict today, we can't do that for one simple reason: we haven't played the game.

We also aren't alone in that fact, in the realms of gaming websites. As you can see for the reviews below, it seems that CDPR have restricted access to the PC version of the game, with console code having to go through several extra layers of certification before it can be pushed live. We requested PS4 code for review, and once it arrives, we'll get to work reviewing the game as soon as we're able to.

For now, we can share some of the opinions that have been released. The running theme? It's very good, but it's also pretty buggy, which has affected scores to varying degrees.

VG247 – PC – 5 Stars

In the midst of such intense anticipation and scrutiny, it's easy to get carried away with what Cyberpunk 2077 could have been. The final experience might be more familiar than many predicted, with plenty of elements that aren't perfect, but it's dripping with detail and engaging stories. With so much to see and do, Cyberpunk 2077 is the kind of RPG where you blink and hours go by, which is just what we need to finish off 2020.

PC Gamer – PC – 78/100

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game about V coming apart at the seams, in a city coming apart at the seams, in a game coming apart at the seams. Play it in a few months.

The Gamer – PC – 5 Stars

I'm V and the game is Silverhand – I can't get Cyberpunk 2077 out of my head. I've had it a week and played 70 hours, which is probably about as healthy as scooping out my face and replacing it with electronics, but it didn't feel like work. Like a digital personality loaded onto a biochip, it felt like stepping into another life for a while. It's a life I can't wait to relive.

Gamespot – PC – 7/10

it's hard to get into Cyberpunk 2077's world in general. So much of it is superficial set dressing, and there's so much happening all around you–ads going off at all times, gunfights breaking out in the streets, texts coming in about cars you'll never buy–that a lot of the game feels superfluous. The side quests and the characters they showcase are the shining beacon through the neon-soaked bleakness of Night City, and they give you room to explore the best the core RPG mechanics have to offer. These are what carried me through an otherwise disappointing experience.

IGN – PC – 9/10

Cyberpunk 2077 throws you into a beautiful, dense cityscape and offers a staggering amount of flexibility in how you choose to take it from there.

Gamesradar – PC – 5 Stars

Cyberpunk 2077 is a paragon of open-world gaming, offering the kind of freedom to explore and define your character that provides a new pinnacle for the genre. It takes everything we celebrate about open-world games, and learns from it, implementing best-in-class variations in a world that's so dense and detailed. Add in the human-like level of reactivity and emotional depth that it brings to its narrative, and it all combines for the most spectacular experience. Take a trip to Night City immediately.

Game Informer – PC – 9/10

Cyberpunk 2077 is dark and disturbing at times (frighteningly so), but the majority of its content is fascinating, and loaded with depth through the various RPG systems and lore. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Night City, and Johnny Silverhand is a great partner to see the sights with.

Windows Central – PC – 5 Stars

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world masterpiece that features some of the most immersive and liberating storytelling this industry has to offer. With full freedom to choose V's personality, looks, and gameplay style, Cyberpunk 2077 gives the player an unrelenting amount of control in a world that delivers dozens upon dozens of hours of high-quality content. Cyberpunk 2077 is a mammoth achievement and solidifies CD Projekt RED's place at the top of the pile.

True Achievements – PC – 4.5 Stars

It might not reinvent the genre in every aspect, but for a fantastic story, an insanely detailed word, and brilliant dialogue, you've got to try it. The achievements will likely take you quite some time, mind: in over 30 hours of playtime, I unlocked six.

RPG Site – PC – 9/10

Right now, Cyberpunk is therefore a game that ultimately falls short of the heady heights CD Projekt RED set for itself with The Witcher 3 – though that is mostly down to clear struggles with the source material and the previously-mentioned raft of bugs and issues. Hopefully these are fixed in time. It remains a mind-boggling achievement, however – and a game whose influence is likely to be felt for years to come.

Regarding the delay on console version reviews, CD Projekt Red have notably been in mandatory crunch for the last few months, pushing hard to finally complete a game that has been delayed several times. It was even delayed after it had gone 'gold', pushed back from a November release to 10th December. All of that combined with the additional certification that console games and updates go through (not to mention that the PS4 and Xbox One are going to be several technical steps behind the game on PC) has likely had CDPR reticent to hand out review codes for consoles.

Incidentally, CDPR have publicly asked members of the public not to stream the game before launch to preserve the story for those eager to play the game on day one. This was necessary because Best Buy started delivering console collector's edition versions of the game to some buyers ahead of time. It's from this that we know the game has a huge 43GB Day One patch, that it's total install footprint in around 60GB, and that there is a Quality mode and Performance mode for the graphics on next-gen platforms.

Will Worms Rumble come to Xbox and Nintendo Switch?

Worms Rumble has finally launched on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC, translating the series' tactical 2D carnage into a bombastic multiplayer shooter.

So far, Team17's latest entry in the long-running series seems to be going down relatively well, Worms Rumble sitting on a comfortable OpenCritic average of 67. One of the game's strongest features is how it allows for cross platform play between all current versions with PC players able to team up and/or throw down against those on PlayStation consoles.

However, with previous Worms games having appeared on Microsoft and Nintendo systems, some of the series' fans are asking if Worms Rumble is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch.

Developer and publisher Team17 have yet to confirm whether Worms Rumble will be made available elsewhere or whether it will remain locked on PlayStation and PC.

On the surface, there's no reason why Team17 might want to avoid these platforms. The Xbox family of consoles is more than capable of running Worms Rumble and, as we've seen with games such as Fortnite, Dead By Daylight, Rocket League, Dauntless, and others, crossplay between Sony and Microsoft systems is doable.

The same goes for the Nintendo Switch which seems like such a good candidate for Worms Rumble. Although not as powerful as its current or last gen counterparts, we've seen plenty of big multiplayer games make the jump to Nintendo's handheld.

There could be several factors behind why Worms Rumble hasn't appeared on other consoles at launch. With PlayStation being the market leader, Team17 could simply be testing the waters instead of committing to the development and ongoing support of multiple versions of the game.

Also, it's hard to ignore the fact that Worms Rumble is the headline game for this month's PlayStation Plus offering. Although unconfirmed, there's a chance Sony and Team17 have some kind of exclusivity deal in play (maybe similar to the one that got Fall Guys onto PS4?).

Worms Rumble Guide – 7 essential tips & tricks for winning

In our review, Gareth awarded Worms Rumble a 7 out of 10, concluding:

Although purists may balk at Worms Rumble, I found Team17's reinvention to be a welcome change in direction for the series. Real-time action wrapped around the battle royale genre works a treat here when combined with the zany, explosive world of Worms, but in order to become a multiple mainstay it needs more depth both in terms of strategy and player progression.

Hopefully we'll see Worms Rumble wriggle its way onto more platforms in 2021.

WRC 9 update adds co-driver mode, new stages and new vehicles

A free update has been released for WRC 9 adding the promised co-driver co-op mode, new stages and new vehicles to the game, but there's a catch. The update is only available for PS4, Xbox One and PC, with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players having to wait a little longer for the update to the next-gen versions of the game.

This second major content update rounds out KT Racing's post-launch plan for the game, with four slices of content for the game. You get:

  • The GR Yaris Rally Concept from Toyota GAZOO Racing
  • Six new stages for Rally Portugal
  • The new Co-Driver mode for two online players to race in the same car
  • The Pirelli Tyre Team livery, featuring Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jaeger in the Citroën C3 WRC

It's not clear when this update will arrive on the new PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but it's relatively trivial for PS5 owners to play the PS4 version of a game via backward compatibility. On Series X|S with Smart Delivery, it's not so easy… In fact, I don't know of a way!

This follows on from the 'Blind Jumps' update that arrived in late October, which was focussed on adding stages to Rally Finland and the photo mode. Of course, KT Racing had also had to prepare for the new generation of consoles, releasing native updates for both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the former having support for the DualSense controller's new haptics and adaptive triggers.

WRC 9 came out at the start of September, building on everything from WRC 8 with three new rallies set in Japan, New Zealand and Kenya. It also boasted a new Clubs Mode for online racers to create customised championships.

We rather enjoyed the game at its release in September. Tom said in our WRC 9 review:

With driving that is now on par with the competition, WRC 9 will keep sucking rally fans back in for more. Elements around the core rallying action could still do with some added finesse, but when the basic premise is so solid, those issues fade into the background. At last, Kylotonn has delivered on the promise of authentic driving experience, and for a rallying game, I think that is the single most important element.

Source: press release

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 Review

Tetris needs no introduction, but depending on where you are in the world, Puyo Puyo might. While gaining greater international recognition beyond its native Japan where it's a respected national esport, it can still however do with a bigger push, especially if the little bean buster wants a shot at sharing the stage with games like Street Fighter, Rocket League or Fortnite. So it makes sense for not just a new Puyo Puyo game, but a follow-up to the surprise puzzle mash-up that gave it its worldwide breakthrough.

While the two puzzle styles seem quite different, offering distinct advantages and disadvantages over one another (the current consensus in the community is that Tetris players, with all their fast T-spins and wide combos, have the upper hand), they both work terrifically well as competitive puzzlers as you race to drop, pop and clear the most Puyos or Tetrimino lines and bury your opponent with garbage until they top out. It's as straightforward as a fighting game, but like a fighting game, also incredibly daunting and esoteric once you start watching a match between high level players putting together eye-watering chains at lightning speed.

Fortunately, newcomers needn't throw themselves at the mercy of online multiplayer right away. Besides a fairly comprehensive Lessons mode to give you the basics and a few tricks on combos, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 comes with a fun and substantial single-player Adventure mode to ease you into all the different play styles and modes. The story is quite silly, as our colourful characters find themselves on a mission to save the world through puzzle battles while discovering the meaning of friendship and all that jazz. The map where you move between missions is a little disorientating to navigate, especially as it occasionally branches out or bonus missions might pop up further back from where you currently are – fortunately you can press a button to enter a shortcut where everything's displayed much more clearly.

It's a good place to get a handle on all the various game modes beyond just standard Puyo Puyo and Tetris, such as the signature Swap mode, where you swap between both play styles, or the more complicated Fusion mode, where you swap between Tetriminoes and Puyos on the same screen. These are by no means difficult if you're an experienced player, though I appreciate the option for beginners to lower the difficulty if they're struggling against any of the challenges. That said, fans and veterans will still want to give Adventure mode a go to try and ace each level with a three-star ranking, while there are also opportunities to aim for a four-star ranking. Suffice to say this is a mode where earning 100% does not strictly mean you've actually finished.

You're also introduced to the all-new Skill Battle mode where you make a team of three characters, each with their own unique skill that can be used during a match. It's a bit of light RPG mechanics thrown into the puzzle battling, so you can regain health, boost your attack or defence. There's even skills that can manipulate the pieces you have, such as rearranging your messy Tetriminoes for an easy Tetris clear or turning all your Puyos into the same colour to instantly pop a lot of garbage blocks. Considering the large roster of characters have essentially been little more than cheery mascots up until now, it might incentivise you to mix things up a bit, especially as some have skills that only work for Tetris or Puyo Puyo.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to really gauge just how in-depth Skill Battles is and whether it will prove a worthwhile addition to the rulesets where most of the hardcore players just stick to the fundamentals like 'Puyo Tsu'. With Adventure mode only having a small fraction be Skill Battles, I rarely ever needed to use my skills, since I'm already capable of pulling off powerful chains that instantly KO an opponent anyway. It's ultimately something that will need to be put through its paces when the game launches.

The good news is that Sega has planned plenty of free post-launch content to support the game, including new characters, which will hopefully provide more options in Skill Battles. It also comes just in time for the new console generation, so PS4 or Xbox One players can upgrade to the next-gen versions for free, even if you're probably going to scratch your head to think just what next-gen features a puzzle game can make use of.

The long-term is still in its online mode, where you can now more easily jump into a friend's game, while ranked play has been split into different leagues. For Puyo Puyo or Tetris mains worrying about balance, they can opt to just focus on their respective leagues, although the classic Puzzle League is still available featuring all modes (though players can still filter what modes they get matched for), as well as the aforementioned Skill Battles league.

For newbies afraid of getting stomped by a veteran Japanese player from the off, there's also an option to start each league with lower points, meaning you'll hopefully match with similarly lower skilled players or will win more points when you beat a higher ranking players (you can however still opt to leave an unwanted match-up, even if it's a bit unsporting). Failing that, you can always just play solo modes for practice, local multiplayer that supports up to four players, or attempt the classic solo challenges like Tetris' Ultra and Sprint modes and see where you place on the leaderboards.

The one bugbear is that although cross-gen play will be supported between PS4 and PS5 players or Xbox One and Series X|S players, there won't be cross-play between platforms. Considering this is a worldwide launch (although PC is due early next year), a first for the series, and that it's across multiple platforms and generations, it's disappointing not to see this being implemented when cross-platform play is becoming the norm, especially with mainstream online games like Fortnite, Rocket League and Brawlhalla.

Master Chief is DJ Space Cat in 'Lucid Odyssey' directed Taika Waititi

Now I'm not suggesting that the Xbox Series X looks like the monolith from 2001 and will be invading your dreams, but Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi is. Microsoft have got Waititi to direct a new short in which we see the real dreams of a gamer who goes by the name of MoonLiteWolf.

"To make this film, Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi used real dreams MoonLiteWolf had after playing the Xbox Series X," say Microsoft. "To capture MoonLiteWolf's dreams, a method known as Targeted Dream Incubation was used. She was guided to a sleep state known as hypnagogia, which was tracked by the Hypnodyne (EEG) headband she was wearing. When she reached this state—known to feel like light sleep and even meditation—she was asked to recall her dreams."

"Tapping into the state of hypnagogia is nothing new. Throughout history, several great minds have used it to inspire their thinking, including Aristotle, Thomas Edison, Edgar Allen Poe, and Mary Shelley. Once MoonLiteWolf's dreams were recorded, renowned Director/Writer/Actor Taika Waititi brought them to life."

Along with whales and neon bunnies we also meet Master Chief who turns out to be a cat who like to drops beats in deep space.

Now you may be thinking this a load of made up marketing rubbish, but nope, Microsoft actually recorded people's dreams using hypnagogia, and here's the proof.

Personally I think this all just a little bit creepy and does the exact opposite of making me want an Xbox, get that dream scanning monolith as far away as possible from me please!

Microsoft's Liz Hamren, CVP of Gaming Experience and Platform, ahs confirmed that the launch of the Xbox Series X|S is the biggest console launch in Xbox history. This means it has beat the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One when it comes to launch numbers. The Xbox Series S brought in the highest number of new players percentage wise compared to other Xbox consoles. 3,594 different games were played collectively by users in the first 24 hours of the Xbox Series X|S launch, with Game Pass now doubt having an impact there. In fact, 70% of Xbox Series X|S users are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass

Source: YouTube

Worms Rumble Review

Worms has been a mainstay in video games for close to thirty years now – a quintessential British series that has now put its turn-based roots to one side to try and snag a larger modern audience.

Instead of dropping squads of invertebrates into highly destructible battlegrounds, this new Worms games leans closer to the multiplayer battle royale trend. More importantly, it's all in real-time, boldly setting fire to the formula that made Worms a household name.

Worms Rumble is best described as a 2.5D shooter that fans of genre will find quite familiar. It's a lot like one of our PS3 favourites from back in the day, Crash Commando or, to go even further back, a bit like Soldat, but its' even more like the Worms Rumble open beta that we previewed a few weeks ago. Shocker.

You and up to 31 other murderous minibeasts will battle it out using trademark Worms weapons and, of course, a mixture of traditional and non-traditional Worms hilarity. The result is a combination of chaos and control, where one moment you can cleanly take out a worm with a couple of well placed shots, but in the next stumble into a room like a drunken octopus only to get taken out yourself. It's certainly different and a lot faster than the turn-based team strategy of the regular line of Worms games, but it still sounds and looks like Worms.

A brief tutorial is on hand, running new players through a brief gauntlet as they learn how to fire guns, lob grenades, and navigate the maze-like arenas of Worms Rumble. For those acquainted with the series, moving your little squishy soldier around will feel familiar though their mobility has been elevated to keep the action flowing. You can roll up into a ball as well as bounce between walls to evade opponents, these techniques also being useful for setting up an ambush. The jetpack is also back, along with a grappling hook, ramping up the tension of those one-on-one duels as you furiously zoom around, trying to clip your rival with a stray projectile.

There seem to only be three maps in Worms Rumble at the moment, which is a disappointment, but the maps that are present are really good at least. In addition to being large and full of varied environments to blow up, they're also packed full of covered areas for some covert sneakiness, as you can't see inside places like vents and cubicles unless you're in them, so you can leave traps or lie in wait. Each map also has some kind of interactive element as well, with one having a giant rocket launch mid-match, changing the landscape. A lot of attention and care has been put into designing the maps that are here, even down to background details like cars driving in and out of the carpark you're battling in, I just wish there were a couple more at launch.

Similarly, there are only three modes available at the moment as well. There's your standard Deathmatch with 32 players, whilst the others are Last Squad Standing and Last Worm Standing. The latter two are basically battle royales in which you choose where you spawn, the action gradually focused in one area as map sections get closed off by hazardous gas. All the modes on offer are a lot of fun and you could really do well in a squad of players who know what they're doing, but some more team based modes wouldn't have hurt. At least a team deathmatch, maybe capture the flag too.

One place that does feel pretty well filled is your arsenal. There are ten weapons to mishandle in Worms Rumble, from shotguns and assault rifles to Worms mainstays such as the Sheep Launcher and Holy Hand Grenade. Each of the weapons behave and handle differently – the shotgun shoots projectiles in an arc, the hand cannon fires powerful shots slowly, etc. – so players need to adjust how they play according to the weapon they have as if you stumble into a long range fight with a shotgun or a close quarters scuffle with a plasma gun, you're going to struggle.

It's important to bear this in mind, because Worms Rumble is not an easy game. There are moments of quiet while you're looking for a worm to shoot, but even these are punctuated by explosions in surrounding rooms or the telltale sound of a rolling worm somewhere nearby, but most of the time it's fast, frantic action. There are bullets whistling through the air, bananas exploding, sheep running around, and missiles screeching past in most encounters and that's just a one-on-one skirmish. Even when you think you're wormo-a-wormo there's a good chance three more worms will suddenly appear out of vents and cubicles to join in, bringing their rockets and jetpacks along with them. It's absolutely glorious.

Worms aren't the only bugs you'll find here. Although there's nothing game-breaking, framerate stutters and the occasional stripe of server instability can upset the flow of matches. Barring these issues, it's the most multiplayer fun I've had in ages. Sure, it's hilarious and silly, but you can pull off some pretty impressive feats as well. It's not just the usual long-ranged, high accuracy shots either, as you can literally deflect rockets with your baseball bat, or ninja rope yourself around with amazing accuracy. What I'm getting at is that it's a skill-based game. It's not just chaos, it's chaos you can plan for, harness, or otherwise cut through with skilful play.

There's a progression system in Worms Rumble, though you'll only be unlocking new cosmetics and other bobbins for your worm, including headgear, eyewear, skins, costumes, and player cards. It's a good enough hook to keep players coming back though Worms Rumble could do with more appearance options or maybe even a free battle pass to make that engagement feel more worthwhile.

As for visuals, it's exactly what you'd expect from Team17 in 2020 – vibrant colours splcied with bold characters and environments. Worms Rumble accompanies its toonish battles with appropriately cute voices and a punchy soundtrack that features a modernised version of that classic Worms theme.

PS Now's December update adds Horizon Zero Dawn, Wreckfest, The Surge 2, and more

PlayStation Now's December update has landed and the new games this month are Horizon Zero Dawn, Wreckfest, Broforce, Stranded Deep, Darksiders 3, and The Surge 2. That's a good bunch of games, let's take a look at them.

Wreckfest scored a fabulous 9/10 in our review. "Wreckfest is a surprising triumph in blending the best that sim and arcade racers have to offer in an explosive and visually gratifying package. A few visual issues and overly aggressive AI do little to spoil one of the best driving games of 2019," said Thomas.

Horizon Zero Dawn only scored 8/10 which is ridiculous, robot dinosaurs should always get a 10/10. "Horizon Zero Dawn is a bit of a slow burn, but there's more to Guerrilla Games' latest than just its staggeringly pretty graphics. The story surprises as it takes several twists and turns and explores the past, but the game's beating heart is with its excellently tense and engaging robotic monster hunting," said Teflon.

Also getting 8/10 from Teflon is Broforce. "Carving your way through a level in Broforce is chock full of muscle flexing carnage, and it's brilliant for it as explosions rock the screen and you tear through the scenery. Though inventive, some of the boss fights halt that fun, and the way co-op deals with lives is too unforgiving, but it's always throwing out something new, whether it's a different looking environment to blow up, a new type of enemy to blow up or another new bro to add to the team and blow things up with," he said.

The Surge 2 scored a good 7/10, "Hugely satisfying combat and some smart world design carries a decent Souls-like that feels like a solid, if safe, alternative for genre fans. The Surge 2 is competent, with flashes of excellence, but loses some of its own identity in the shadows of its inspirations," commented Thomas, he gets a lots of reviews doesn't he?

We did not review Stranded Deep but it has a Metacritic rating of 64% on PlayStation 4, and if you haven't played Darksiders 3 by now then there's something wrong with you, it came out in 2018 and was put on PS Plus in late 2019.

Source: PS Blog

Submerged: Hidden Depths Review

It's easy to appreciate people who try to do things differently, unless you despise any kind of change. The ebb and flow of evolution, of progress and the unending advance of time bare an infinite number of possibilities and outcomes. Through it all, two things remain constant: firstly, that all things must end, and secondly, that humanity will consistently endeavour to undo itself in any number of creative ways.

Submerged: Hidden Depths explores a decaying world, while contemplating what it once was. There's no combat, no insistent wave of enemies, just the waves lapping against the bones of a civilisation for you to explore. Marooned amongst a milieu of hacking, slashing and shooting, it is quite simply fantastic.

The Mass is an oozing, glistening black morass of tentacles that you find wrapped around the decaying architecture of this submerged world. It's referred to as The Black Plant, and it's clear that it's a living organism, its black depths pulsating with red ichor. It's lethal to all people, but you have inexplicably gained an innate ability to harness it to create life instead of take it, with the resulting taint shown by a wrap of flower-sprouting tendrils around your arm.

Your task is to reclaim the city from The Mass, though it's not the case that you're eradicating it. When you return seeds to it, you find that the Mass reflects your own growth-giving power, blooming into glorious green tendrils of colour, bringing life where there was none.

Exploration is at the heart of Submerged: Hidden Depths, and it crafts an engaging and atmospheric world for you to explore. Within moments of starting I was drawn in by the decaying civilisation, the personable pair of characters, and the tender orchestration. I simply had to know what happened here, and what is going to happen.

Much of that exploration is done via clambering and climbing across the submerged ruins, and the main character does so with the same snappy surety of Lara Croft, Ezio or Nathan Drake. It's an assured performance, and it comes together far better than you'll find in many indie titles that have tried to ape the genre's mainstays.

When you're not jumping from vertigo-inducing shelves you're navigating in your boat, drawing on some Wind Waker-like point to point travelling. Since it's limited to the city, you don't find yourself adrift at any point with nothing in sight, and you can always whip out your telescope and soon find the next point of interest to head to, making exploring the landscape a mostly frictionless affair.

There's some light puzzling as well – a heavy stone to put on a switch here, a platform to pull down using the rope on your boat there – but it's not exactly what you would consider challenging. The mechanical elements simply serve to help you to believe in, and interact with, the world. There's no mind-melting confusion as to why things have been put in your way, rather they add authenticity to your experience.

You build a picture of events through cutscenes and diary entries, found across the city. There's something of the iconography found at the end of Pixar's Wall-E, and a hint of Moana's mythology, and I couldn't shake the sensation that Submerged is playing to that same environmentally charged ideology. It works fantastically well and manages to do it all without resorting to blunt-force trauma, operating as it does with next to no dialogue. As ever, it feels as though humanity is at the root this world's ills; a message we would do well to remember.

The Black Mass has stolen life from those it touches, and creates frozen copies that are strewn across the decaying buildings, but as you approach they bloom back into life, regaining a moment of animation before fixing once more into their revery. It's a really effective way of making the world feel alive, even when it's been robbed of nearly everything else.

There's no combat to talk about in Submerged: Hidden Depths, and I found that incredibly freeing. It gives you the time to sink into the world and to engage with it, letting the atmosphere wash over you. There are a number of additional tasks to keep you going though, with Flowers, Lookouts, Upgrades and Relics all waiting for you to find them amongst the debris. With the clambering, collecting and exploring it starts to feel like a combat-free Assassin's Creed, and I'm absolutely fine with that. If anything, those are my favourite aspects of the AC games, and Submerged hones in on them to remarkable effect.

There are one or two concessions here as an indie title, and despite the game's overarching beauty and exceptionally strong atmosphere, it can appear on occasion to be an amalgamation of a jumble of generic feeling assets. That doesn't diminish the ideas, or the craftmanship that's gone into the city itself, but it's not all glamour.

The soundtrack however shines throughout. Its string and piano-heavy compositions set the tone; they carry the weight of expectation, and the echoing loneliness of this place, but there's the opportunity for hope. There's jazz-tinged moments where you take control of the power-less brother, and an uplifting crescendo as you return a seed to its place, bringing The Mass back to life.

Epic are adding two huge RPGs to their list of free games

As we swing into the Christmas period there should be no shortage of games to play, whether finding time to clear that backlog or throwing money at those end-of-year sales.

If you're looking to hunker down with some traditional RPG style goodness then you'll want to visit the Epic Game Store next week. From December 10th to the 17th, Epic are giving away both Pillars of Eternity: Definitive Edition and Tyranny: Gold Edition.

This pair of roleplaying games are developed by Obsidian Entertainment who have also worked on Star Wars, D&D, and Fallout in the past. Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny will definitely keep you playing for hours during the festive period if CRPGs are your jam.

In the meantime, you can redeem a free copy of all-time indie classic, Cave Story.

Below we've published the full list of Epic free games, complete with their availability dates and review links.

Epic Games store free games list

Game Name Dates Available
Pillars of Eternity December 10-17, 2020
Tyranny December 10-17, 2020
Cave Story+ December 3-10, 2020
MudRunner November 26-December 3, 2020
Elite: Dangerous November 19-26, 2020
The World Next Door November 19-26, 2020
The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia November 12-19, 2020
Dungeons 3 November 12-19, 2020
Wargame: Red Dragon November 5-12, 2020
Ghostbusters The Video Game – Remastered October 29-November 5, 2020
Blair Witch October 29-November 5, 2020
Layers of Fear 2 October 22-29, 2020
Costume Quest 2 October 22-29, 2020
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs October 15-22, 2020
Kingdom New Lands October 15-22, 2020
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam October 8-15, 2020
ABZU October 8-15, 2020
Pikuniku October 1-8, 2020
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition September 24-October 1, 2020
Football Manager 2020 September 17-24, 2020
Watch Dogs 2 September 17-24, 2020
Stick It To The Man! September 17-24, 2020
Railway Empire September 10-17, 2020
Where The Water Tastes Like Wine September 10-17, 2020
Into The Breach September 3-10, 2020
Hitman August 27-September 3, 2020
Shadowrun Collection August 27-September 3, 2020
God's Trigger August 20-27, 2020
Enter the Gungeon August 20-27, 2020
The Alto Collection August 13-20, 2020
Remnant: From the Ashes August 13-20, 2020
A Total War Saga: Troy August 13-14, 2020
Wilmot's Warehouse August 6-13, 2020
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP July 30 – August 6, 2020
Barony July 30 – August 6, 2020
20XX July 30 – August 6, 2020
Next Up Hero July 23-30, 2020
Tacoma July 23-30, 2020
Torchlight II July 16-23, 2020
Lifeless Planet: Premier Edition July 9-16, 2020
The Escapists 2 July 9-16, 2020
Killing Floor 2 June 9-16, 2020
Hue July 2-9, 2020
Stranger Things 3 June 25-July 2, 2020
AER Memories of Old June 18-25, 2020
Ark: Survival Evolved June 11-18, 2020
Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection June 11-18, 2020
Overcooked June 4-11, 2020
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection May 28-June 4, 2020
Civilization VI May 21-28, 2020
Grand Theft Auto V May 14-21, 2020
Death Coming May 7-14, 2020
Crashlands April 30-May 7, 2020
Amnesia: The Dark Descent April 30-May 7, 2020
For the King April 23-30, 2020
Just Cause 4 April 16-23, 2020
Wheels of Aurelia April 16-23, 2020
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments April 9-16, 2020
Close to the Sun April 9-16, 2020
Gone Home April 2-9, 2020
Drawful 2 April 2-9, 2020
Hob April 2-9, 2020
Totally Reliable Delivery Service April 1-8, 2020
World War Z March 26-April 2, 2020
Torment x Punisher March 26-April 2, 2020
Figment March 26-April 2, 2020
Watch Dogs March 19-26, 2020
The Stanley Parable March 19-26, 2020
A Short Hike March 12-19, 2020
Mutazione March 12-19, 2020
Anodyne 2 March 12-19, 2020
Gonner March 5-12, 2020
Offworld Trading Company March 5-12, 2020
Inner Space February 27-March 5, 2020
Faeria February 20-27, 2020
Assassin's Creed Syndicate February 20-27, 2020
Aztez February 13-20, 2020
Kingdom Come: Deliverance February 13-20, 2020
Ticket to Ride February 6-13, 2020
Carcassonne February 6-13, 2020
Farming Simulator 19 January 30-February 6, 2020
The Bridge January 23-30, 2020
Horace January 16-23, 2020
Sundered: Eldritch Edition January 9-16, 2020
Darksiders Warmastered Edition January 1-9, 2020
Darksiders 2 Dethinitive Edition January 1-9, 2020
Steep January 1-9, 2020
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair December 31, 2019
Hello Neighbor December 30, 2019
The Talos Principle December 29, 2019
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun December 28, 2019
Hyper Light Drifter December 27, 2019
FTL: Faster Than Light December 26, 2019
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator December 25, 2019
Celeste December 24, 2019
Ape Out December 23, 2019
Little Inferno December 22, 2019
Superhot December 21, 2019
Towerfall Ascension December 20, 2019
Into the Breach December 19, 2019
The Wolf Among Us December 12-19, 2019
The Escapists December 12-19, 2019
Jotun: Valhalla Edition December 6-12, 2019
Rayman Legends November 29-December 6, 2019
Bad North November 21-29, 2019
The Messenger November 14-21, 2019
Ruiner November 7-14, 2019
Nuclear Throne November 7-14, 2019
Costume Quest October 31-November 7, 2019
Soma October 31-November 7, 2019
Layers of Fear October 24-October 31, 2019
Q.U.B.E.2 October 24-October 31, 2019
Alan Wake: American Nightmare October 17-24, 2019
Observer October 17-24, 2019
Surviving Mars October 10-17, 2019
Minit October 3-10, 2019
Metro 2033 Redux September 26-October 3, 2019
Everything September 26-October 3, 2019
Lego Batman Trilogy September 19-26, 2019
Batman: Arkham Collection September 19-26, 2019
Conarium September 12-19, 2019
ABZU September 5-12, 2019
The End is Nigh September 5-12, 2019
Celeste August 29-September 5, 2019
Inside August 29-September 5, 2019
Fez August 22-29, 2019
Hyper Light Drifter August 15-22, 2019
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden August 15-22, 2019
GNOG August 8-15, 2019
For Honor August 2-9, 2019
Alan Wake August 2-9, 2019
This War of Mine July 25-August 2, 2019
Moonlighter July 25-August 2, 2019
Limbo July 18-July 25, 2019
Torchlight July 11-18, 2019
Overcooked July 4-11, 2019
Last Day of June June 27-July 4, 2019
Rebel Galaxy June 20-27, 2019
Enter the Gungeon June 13-20, 2019
Kingdom: New Lands June 6-13, 2019
City of Brass May 30-6, 2019
Rime May 23-30, 2019
Stories Untold May 16-23, 2019
World of Goo May 2-16, 2019
Transistor April 18-May 2, 2019
The Witness April 4-18, 2019
Oxenfree March 21-April 4, 2019
Slime Rancher March 7-21, 2019
Thimbleweed Park February 21-March 7, 2019
Axiom Verge February 7-21, 2019
The Jackbox Party Pack January 24-February 7, 2019
What Remains of Edith Finch January 11-24, 2019
Super Meat Boy
December 28, 2018-January 10, 2019
Subnautica December 12-27, 2018

The Epic Games Store also hosts a growing number of online free-to-play hits including Fortnite, as well as Rocket League, Dauntless, Rogue Company, and more.

Source: Epic Games

 

Rune II Interview – Studio 369 take us through the saga of the game's rescue from its own Ragnarok

In anticipation of Rune II: Decapitation Edition launching on Steam last month I had the opportunity to virtually sit down with Matt Candler and the team at Studio 369 to play some multiplayer Viking action and chat about the unholy saga that they have faced in turning the game around from its frankly disastrous and cursed initial release on the Epic Games Store last year. If you aren't familiar with the story then you can check out our coverage here and here.

Alongside beating up vicious Draugr with their own detached limbs and avoiding talking about the US election that was taking place at the same time, we had a wide ranging and enjoyable conversation that covered everything from the Liverpool match against Atalanta that evening to the best Shakespeare quotes to accompany the onscreen action. But, mainly, of course, we talked about Rune II: Decapitation Edition.

TSA: Obviously, the whole Zenimax saga sounds like a complete nightmare. What was the sequence of events that saw Studio 369 take over RUNE II?

Matt: After Nov 13 2019 we repeatedly requested the final source code, and they repeatedly refused to return our property. During the first few weeks, we spoke to about six top Unreal Studios about the opportunity to take over RUNE II, the immediate work we wanted to tackle (Bugs, Optimizations, Localisations) and then future plans for the game. Every studio inquired about the status and quality of the codebase and assets.

Unfortunately, because we didn't have source code and raw assets getting a work proposal and agreeing to a statement of work/schedule was impossible, because the scope could not be fully evaluated. Hiring a replacement studio would be very difficult because of this.

However, one of the teams was Symmetric Gaming. We had worked with Dan Nikolaides and Vic Lopez on other projects, and they are very, very good in using the Unreal engine. We started addressing the Core Systems that needed priority attention – Combat, Loot, Enemy Spawns, and we delivered this patch in April and May of 2020 (Lazarus Update).

Studio 369 was incorporated in March 2020 when it became clear that the team was working really well together. We were very effective being a distributed studio, we were having a lot of fun with the game, and we wanted to have a long-term plan for employees (benefits, stock) and the community.

TSA: Could you tell us a little more about the studio? What size is it, what prior experience did you bring onboard?

Matt: Most of the team has worked together on other projects at Phosphor Studios and Paramount Studios and Activision. Most of the team is in Vegas and Chicago, but also in a handful of other locations. Everyone was pretty much working from home offices at the start of the year so there was no impact [from Covid 19] to us whatsoever. We're up to 18 people now and continuing to grow. Our prior experience is Unreal expertise: action, RPG, survival, building/crafting, online multiplayer games and operations, alongside F2P and premium monetisation.

TSA: The initial Epic Store release was a mess, although it has been improved since then; will current owners receive the Decapitation Edition or is this just a Steam release?

Matt: RUNE II: Decapitation Edition will be available on both platforms so the same version of the game will be in every Store. We initially made a custom Armor set for Steam User; but came to our senses and that Armor will be available to everyone who has previously bought the game and for a limited time after Nov 13 2020.

TSA: In some senses, the Epic exclusivity means that this will feel like a brand new release when it hits Steam. Has this given the team encouragement that they will be able to reach a new audience for their hard work?

Matt: The exclusivity expiration certainly gave us a definitive 'target' for us to focus on, and we had a lot users reserve RUNE II: DE on Steam Wishlist, so that made the goal very tangible as there was a clear demand for the game on Steam. We also looked at the one year anniversary with a grim reminder of what happened to us on Nov 13, 2019 and there was an intense desire to fix that. We've been updating the game on EGS throughout the year and this has been super helpful to receive that customer feedback and confirm that we're on the right track. The RUNE II Community Discord has really grown and developed into a very good resource for us.

TSA: I guess the elephant in the room is the convergence of release dates with Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. What does Rune II have to offer for gamers looking for an alternative to Ubisoft's title?

Matt: Well, RUNE II: Decapitation Edition is extremely loot and level focused, we are way closer to an open world Diablo or Skyrim experience than we are to Assassin's Creed. We're quirky and wild; an out of control action adventure that you play with your friends and have a great time, kill a lot of shit and get a lot of loot.

A few other direct feature differences include: Our skill system focuses on the 3 Gods and the Godless (heathen). You can swap and re-spec your skills out at any time (while not in actual combat). We have Cooperative Campaign with a variety of difficulties so you can find that sweet spot of fun. We also have updated our PVP Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes. We don't really see this as the 'Elephant in the Room' as we have been laser focused on Launching Nov 13, 2020. We don't have any cutscenes either, our dialogue and quests are pretty hilarious and meant to just be entertaining and fun. And well, we're going to be on Steam.

TSA: What are your hopes for RUNE II in terms of player base and reception?

Matt: We hope players say, "hey this is a fucking awesome game and I'm having a wild time," and "holy shit, you can do WHAT in the game" and "this is a great example of not abandoning and walking away and doing what is right for the customers." We're already seeing a lot of positive feedback and thumbs up on our discord and other channels. The reception has been fantastic and exactly what we hoped for.

TSA: After a hard-earned break, what's next for Studio 369 (aside from the inevitable bug fixes and patches)?

Matt: We have a patch planned for before Thanksgiving that is based on community and streamer feedback.  We also have a December patch planned with a new dungeon, new loot, and new enemies.

We'll probably be looking at a few other big ticket items that we've been working on and the community asked for (i.e. UI changes, dual wielding, TBD). We also have a new game design and concept that we've been pitching to investors/publishers and has been picked up; we will start production on in January 2020.

Rune II: Decapitated Edition is available now on Steam and Epic Games Store.

The VR3000 is the first gaming headset from Japanese audio specialist final

We love a good gaming headset here on TheSixthAxis – by 'we' I mainly mean me and my continuing attempts to make my tinnitus find new and exciting tones to fill my ears with – and just in time for Christmas we've had word that Japanese audio specialist final are set to unleash their first gaming headphones onto the public in the shape of the VR3000.

final have been in the audio business for over 50 years, and throughout that time they've continued to innovate in the space, continually pushing cutting edge technology and design out to an appreciative audience.

The VR3000 is final's first pair of earphones created specifically with gamers in mind. Taking the form of an in-ear monitor they're designed to be small and extremely lightweight so you can listen and play for hours without any of the regular signs of fatigue that over or on-ear sets might cause.

They've been designed to deliver headphone-like spacial sound with pinpoint accuracy and clarity, while the in-ear design allows for improved mobility and device compatibility when you compare them to some of the unwieldy, power-hungry sets you find out there.

The VR3000 connects via 3.5mm jack, meaning they're compatible with nearly everything from your Oculus Quest 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X thought to your trusty old Nintendo Switch. They're built from sturdy ABS, and feature an in-line mic and a 3 button controller, while boasting an impedance of 18 ohm and a sensitivity of 101dB.

final have aimed for a design that manages to deliver deep resounding bass as well as top end detail, which they've aimed to achieve through their own in-house designed 6mm dynamic driver. It certainly sounds like they've put a lot of thought into the design and we can't wait to put them through their paces.

The VR3000 will retail for £69.99/$79.99 and releases on the 10th of December 2020.