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Hades Cross-Save Between Switch And PC Is Finally Live

Hades

While technically releasing in 2018 in Early Access, Supergiant Games' Hades captured the attention of many when it was released in its 1.0 form this year, which also included a Switch version. The game saw both critical acclaim (we were big fans) as well as strong sales in the process. There was a promised cross-save feature for the game between its 1.0 PC and its Switch release, but ultimately had to be pushed back. Now, though, the time has come.

On the official Supergiant Games Twitter, it was announced that the cross-save feature is now here and live. It's simple, all you have to do is go to cross-saves in the main menu on your Switch and connect either your Steam or Epic Games account to the system. After that, upload your save data and you should be good to go.

Hades is now available for both Nintendo Switch and PC. As of now, there is no announced plans for any other systems at this time.


Resident Evil Village's Latest Leak Says It Features Online Mode That Also Ties Into Revelations 3

resident evil village

Capcom this year has hit some bad luck when a data hack exposed most of their projects and plans for basically the next few years. One of the biggest causalities has been their next Resident Evil game, Village. The entire plot to the game is out in the wild despite the game not even having an official release date as of yet. Now we also have an idea of what online plans there could be.

Over on the Reddit GamingLeaksAndRumors page, users have translated some of the latest leaks and found that Resident Evil Village seems to have an online mode planned called Village Online. It will include characters, skins and boosters packs, though it's not clear exactly how that will be utilized. The most interesting aspect is there's data here that says it will also have some type of ties with the upcoming Resident Evil Outrage title that was among the leaks, rumored to potentially be Revelations 3.

If this is accurate, it seems as if Capcom may be taking some cues here from Activision with their Warzone game. While that launched alongside Modern Warfare, it was ultimately its own game that is now going to be connected to, and running in conjunction, with every Call of Duty going forward.

Of course, while we know these leaks are legitimate considering the source, it's worth taking them with a grain of salt all the same. We have no idea if these plans are still in place or not, nor is it clear how it'll be implemented if it is, meaning that it may be entirely different than it seems to be detailed on paper. The game is mostly likely at least 4-5 months away, so it could be a bit before we know for sure.


Nioh 2 Gets Trailer And Gameplay Footage For Final DLC, The First Samurai

Nioh 2 - The First Samurai

There have been many throughout the last decade that have taken the Souls-like formula and added their own spin on things, and probably the most intense, challenging and unique has been Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja's Nioh. The second game hit the PS4 this year, largely to critical acclaim, and now it's ramping up for its final DLC, The First Samurai.

In a lengthy livestream, we get to see a new trailer as well as gameplay footage from some of the developers with a little extra trailer at the end. It is all in Japanese, but by and large you can get the gist of most of it I imagine. The last DLC will add a new difficulty level as well as new weapons, monsters, and a story that once again takes you back to the past to find buried secrets. You can read about it through here.

Nioh 2 is available now for PlayStation 4 with The First Samurai coming December 17th. A Complete Edition with the full game and all DLC will release on PS4 and PC February 5th. A remastered version of that will also come to PS5 on the same date as both a standalone release and as part of The Nioh Collection.


Terminator: Resistance – Enhanced Coming To PS5 March 26, 2021

You may recall that last year, the Terminator showed up all over the place from Mortal Kombat 11 to Ghost Recon in promotion of the latest film. There was also a tie-in game called Terminator: Resistance that flew under the radar that was something of a mixed bag. Now, though, it's back and better than ever with the Enhanced version on next gen.

As announced from developer Reef Entertainment, early next year you'll be able to get an enhanced version of the game on Sony's latest console. It will come with all the upgrades and patches from the PC version and will even see a new mode called Infiltrator that flips the script and puts you in the shoes of a Terminator looking to cut through the resistance. In addition to that, there will also be paid DLC later in the year for the PS5 and PC versions that included a new campaign mode. Those with the game on PS4 will see a free upgrade to the PS5 version.

The vanilla release of Terminator: Resistance is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. As of now, Enhanced seems to only be coming to PS5 and PC with no mention of a next gen Xbox version.


DOOM Eternal – New BattleMode Maps, Invasion Mode Planned for 2021

doom eternal the ancient gods

The year is winding down for everyone and the games industry is no exception. Id Software, which released the stellar DOOM Eternal earlier this year, released an end of year letter for its community, thanking them for their support. It also talks about the challenges of remote development, The Ancient Gods – Part 1 expansion and recent Nintendo Switch port by Panic Button.

The studio also outlined its plans for next year. On top of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrades for DOOM Eternal and bringing the expansions to Switch, there will also be "general additions and improvements made." BattleMode will be receiving new maps and playable demons along with a "revamped" competitive structure. Invasion mode is also coming along and The Ancient Gods – Part 2 promises to deliver an "epic culmination" to the story that began in DOOM (2016).

DOOM Eternal is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch and Google Stadia. You can check out our official review for the base game here. Though the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrades are a ways off, the previous-gen versions are still playable on those consoles via backwards compatibility.


Mass Effect 4 is Bringing Back Several Key Developers from the Original Trilogy

Mass Effect 4

After having confirmed that the next Mass Effect is in development earlier this year, last week at The Game Awards, BioWare closed the show with a proper teaser trailer for the game, hinting at a return to the Milky Way galaxy in a post-Mass Effect 3 story. It seems the sequel is going to attempt to go back to what made the original trilogy so good- and that's reflected in its development team as well, apparently.

Taking to Twitter, Mass Effect 4's project director Michael Gamble spoke about several members of the game's development team who had crucial roles to play in the development of the original trilogy as well. These include Dusty Everman, who was a senior level designer on the original trilogy, and returns to BioWare as Principal Narrative Designer; Parrish Ley, who was the cinematic director of Mass Effect 1-3; Brenon Holmes, who was a senior programmer on Mass Effect 1 and and senior designer on Mass Effect 3; and Derek Watts, who was Mass Effect's original art director.

Mass Effect 4 is in early development right now, so there's no word yet on when it will be out, or what platforms it will release for (or even what it's name will be). It'll probably be a while before we learn any of those details.

Recently, Gamble also hinted that Mass Effect 4 might not be abandoning the Andromeda storyline after all, contrary to what many believed, and could actually bridge the gap between the 2017 game and the original trilogy. You can read our analysis of the game's teaser trailer to get some insight into what it teases for the sequel's story through here.

Before that, we do have plenty of other Mass Effect content to look forward, most notably with Mass Effect: Legendary Edition releasing in Spring 2021 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.


Deathloop Won't be Playable Offline – Rumour

Deathloop

Arkane Studios' upcoming game Deathloop is largely going to be a single player-focused experience, and even though it does have an optional multiplayer component, it's something that players can easily ignore entirely if they wish to. It's surprising, then, that the game might not be playable without an internet connection.

As spotted over on the ResetEra forums, Deathloop's page on the official PlayStation website mentions that the game requires online play. In contrast, if you were to look at something like, say, Demon's Souls, which does have an important multiplayer component but one that is by no means necessary, the game's page says that online play is "optional". Makes you wonder just what part of Deathloop (that Bethesda obviously haven't spoken about yet) will end up making an online connection a necessity.

It's possible that this is a simple error on the PlayStation website and that the game doesn't actually need to be online to be played, but neither Bethesda nor Arkane have said anything about this yet. We'll keep you updated if they do though, so stay tuned.

Deathloop is out for the PS5 and PC on May 21, and will be a timed PlayStation console exclusive for one year afterward.


Cyberpunk 2077 – 15 Gameplay Features It Needs

Whether you believe Cyberpunk 2077 to be a disappointment or not, there's no doubt that it needs a lot of additional work. Bug fixes and different features are a given but there are numerous quality of life improvements that should be implemented. Without further ado, let's highlight 15 of them here.

UI Text Scaling

Scaling exists for subtitles but not for text in the menus. Considering all of the loot earned and their descriptions along with Shards and their lore, it's a huge inconvenience trying to read the small text. UI scaling this would make things a lot more easy on the eyes, especially for people with visual impairment.

Sliders for Body Customization

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Of all the things that you can – and can't – customize in Cyberpunk 2077, there are no sliders for one's height or weight. V is still visible in certain instances, like mirrors and specific cutscenes, so being able to customize them in other ways would be great. It may not seem like much but this is supposed to be a role-playing game – any additional bit of immersion works.

Changing Appearance

cyberpunk 2077

In The Witcher 3, it made sense to not allow changing Geralt's face or body structure since he's a static character. But if you can create your own V in Cyberpunk 2077, why can't you change their appearance later on? Isn't this the future where extensive body customization is possible? Even if CD Projekt RED can't offer this option, it would still be nice to change one's hairstyle (unless barbers were the first casualty of the Fourth Corporate War).

Buffing Weapon Attachments

cyberpunk 2077

Weapon attachments and customization in general needs some big improvements. There are scopes that provide 0.02 less ADS time or 0.58 additional range. These numbers need to be significantly bumped up while more different types of attachments are also needed like grips, magazines and muzzles.

Transmog

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As soon as Cyberpunk's armor system was revealed, the first concern was whether stats would be tied to clothing. Sure enough, you often have to mix and match several pieces of clothing to get the best bonuses. Considering how important style apparently is in Night City, not to mention the cosmetic freedom one yearns for in an RPG, having a transmog system to separate fashion from stats is paramount. Also on that note – a "Hide Headgear" option for those who want to gaze upon V's glorious mug is also a must.

Previewing Armor and Weapons

cyberpunk 2077

When purchasing either clothes or weaponry, it'd be nice to preview them beforehand. Just seeing the look of something beforehand is a no-brainer, especially considering the number of other open world games that achieved this without issue.

Loot and Junk Dismantle Settings

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There's a perk in the Tech tree called Scrapper and it will automatically dismantle any junk that the player picks up. Forget for a second that it also dismantles any valuable junk, robbing you of lots of potential cash – it shouldn't even be a perk in the first place. In a loot-focused game like this, players should have the ability to mark different items as junk based on their rarity. Different types of junk should also be properly segregated based on their value. And finally, there should be an option to mark specific loot and items for sale or to dismantle right away. This would smooth out the loot grind quite a bit and help in managing one's inventory as well.

Theft Mechanics

Cyberpunk 2077

In the future, everything apparently is free for the taking. It would be nice to have some actual theft mechanics, whether it's stealing money from NPCs or being able to steal foes' weapons during a fight. If nothing else, it would provide some more options for both role-playing and combat, perhaps even some funny situations when stealing from NPCs in the open world.

Respec Attributes

Cyberpunk 2077 - Attributes

While you can respec perks using a specific item, it's insanely expensive at 100,000 Eurodollars. Not only does the cost of this need to be reduced but there should also be a way to respec attributes. Right now, if you're unhappy with a specific set of attributes, then you need to start a new campaign. If deep customization and freedom of choice is a thing, then respeccing attributes should be allowed.

Journal Changes

Cyberpunk 2077 - Journal

Even before launch, some previews called out the Journal as being a mess. Everything is dumped into one place; you don't really have a sense of which quests reward what in terms of XP or Street Cred; and the danger levels are annoyingly ambiguous in terms of threats and required level. Streamlining and providing more clarity for quests is a good first step to cleaning up the Journal.

Cleaner Backpack

Cyberpunk 2077 - Backpack

The backpack provides an overview of all the different items currently in your inventory. There are options for filtering between weapons, attachments, mods, consumables and so on. However, upon first opening the backpack, you'll notice that your equipped items are randomly scattered about and not, say, arranged close together near the top left or something. It's an annoyance, especially when trying to quickly sell items and avoiding your equipped gear.

Crafting Changes

Cyberpunk 2077 - Crafting

The sheer amount of random loot you get makes crafting redundant (especially when you must invest a significant amount into perks for crafting higher weapon rarities). Crafting and upgrade costs are also way too high in the upper tiers, further pushing you to rely on random drops. Also, are Blue Medkits supposed to give you so many more crafting materials after dismantling compared to how much they cost to make? It's just a mess all around.

Ignoring Calls

Cyberpunk 2077_V

When someone calls you, you should have the option to ignore their phone call. Plain and simple. Automatically answering calls, especially when other dialogue is playing results in a jumbled mess of words. Give players the option to look at missed calls and then dial the person back. Also, provide an option to make all calls silent, in case the player wants to roam the landscape without being phoned up every few minutes.

Road Indicators While Driving

Cyberpunk 2077_18

The minimap could use more zoom levels so that you can see upcoming turns better while driving. But why not also add indicators on the actual roads? Guiding lines like in Forza Horizon 4 which indicate the best time to brake before making a turn (based on your speed) would be great and make navigation that much smoother.

Rebinding Keys

Cyberpunk 2077_04

While there are options for rebinding keys, certain ones – like opening the main menu or going straight to the inventory – can't be changed. So you can't change "I" to go straight to your inventory instead of "O." You'll also need to fumble for a bit to learn that "P" goes straight to the character screen with the perk trees while "K" is for opening the crafting menu. In short, full rebinding for all keys should be a thing at some point.


Cyberpunk 2077's PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Versions Will Use "All the New Functions and Technical Possibilities" of New Consoles

Cyberpunk 2077_02

Cyberpunk 2077's launch has been a much bigger mess than anyone could have predicted, and CD Projekt RED are going to have a lot of work ahead of them as they attempt to get the game running well on PS4 and Xbox One with a number of upcoming patches. Following that, of course, the game is also scheduled to release dedicated next-gen ports for the Xbox Series X/S and PS5, and according to CD Projekt RED, players can expect it to fully leverage all the new features that next-gen hardware will enable.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg (via Push Square), CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwiński said, "With the next-gen update, we'll use all the functionalities or the new functions and technical possibilities provided by the new platforms."

Based on his statement, we can probably assume that Cyberpunk 2077 will feature support for ray-tracing on both Xbox Series X/S and PS5, while PS5-exclusive features like haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and Activities are also likely to be supported.

As for when that next-gen patch arrives, the answer to that question is up in the air right now. The game is scheduled to launch for the new consoles some time in 2021, but CD Projekt RED doesn't yet know how its messy launch will affect all of their post-launch plans.

Cyberpunk 2077 is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. You can read our console review for the game through here, and our PC review through here.


Cyberpunk 2077 – CD Projekt RED Founders Lose Over $1 Billion Due to Buggy Launch

cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt RED has been taking a beating since the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 with stock falling by 29 percent following various issues. According to Bloomberg, the company's founders have lost over $1 billion from their own wealth. As of Tuesday, their joint 34 percent stake is valued at roughly $3 billion with stock rising by 2.5 percent.

Based on different analyst estimates collected by Bloomberg, the title's 12-month sales forecast has fallen from the previously predicted 30 million or so to 25.6 million. The consensus seems to be that fixing the game's many issues will be "crucial for revenue" even as the PC version's outlook seems to be faring better. BOS Bank SA analyst Tomasz Rodak stated in an email that, "There is now huge scar on the reputation of both the studio and its management."

"In only a couple of days, CD Projekt fell from the most adored studio to the most hated one. Restoring trust is not impossible, but would need much time and effort." While the developer has committed to bug fixes and updates on the previous-gen versions, its approach to refunds has also seen criticism. Despite telling disgruntled players that they can apply for refunds, board member Michał Nowakowski clarified during a recent conference call that, "It's going to be up to Sony and Microsoft and their current policies."

Cyberpunk 2077 is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Google Stadia. Check out our review for the PS4 version on PS5 here and the PC version here.