Radio Telescope That Inspired Battlefield 4 Map Experiences Levolution

Battlefield 4

For those that played on them, the maps in Battlefield 4 were iconic. They were large, sprawling playgrounds that players could blow up, skydive through and make their own Battlefield moments in. But the standout feature of the maps in Battlefield 4 was their levolutions. This made-up term defines the massive changes each map could go through when something gets blown up or if the weather decided to take an especially nasty turn. Ironically, one of the real-life inspirations for a map in Battlefield 4 experienced its own levolution on the first of December.

Players may remember Rogue Transmission, one of the larger maps in Battlefield 4 that centers around a massive radio telescope. In the game, this map is set in the Guizhou Province of China. In reality, the map is based on the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

Just a few days ago, Arecibo's 900-ton equipment platform — that massive thing dangling some 500 feet above the dish — collapsed. The last of the platform's functioning support cables finally gave out, crashing the platform down on the disc below it. Nobody was hurt in the crash, according to an NPR report on the matter.

As unfortunate as it is that a massive scientific icon has been destroyed, the similarities between this accident and the levolution from Battlefield 4 are undeniable. footage of the Arecibo Observatory's collapse can be found below.

During its nearly 60 years in service, the Arecibo Observatory was an important tool for scientists studying radio astronomy and atmospheric science. Outside of its scientific uses, the enormous facility was also used as a setpiece in the James Bond movie GoldenEye.

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Code Geass Band FLOW Whip Up Zero Cosplay For Lelouch's Birthday, New Project Reveal Stream Coming This Saturday

FLOW code geass zero cosplay

December 5, 2020 marks the birthday of Code Geass protagonist Lelouch, and Sunrise will be holding a special live stream for the occasion. The Code Geass New Project Reveal stream is happening at 0600 ET (Click here for a time zone conversion table). The stream will be on YouTube.

The latest big Code Geass project is Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection, a movie which released in February 2019 in Japan. This new stream should be revealing a sequel. We don't know yet what form it'll take, whether it'll be a TV series or another movie. And it's unlikely the first announcement will precise as much.

For the occasion, Japanese band FLOW, who handled multiple Code Geass theme songs including first OP Colors (JIBUN WO), shared a photo of themselves cosplaying Zero.

FLOW is made of singer Keigo, singers and guitarists Kohshi and TAKE. Bassist and singer Got's, And drummer Iwasaki. The five man band knows how to have fun and share it:

While Code Geass is regularly featured in Super Robot Wars, it's been a while since the series got a game. I wouldn't be surprised if an announcement on that front came soon. Earlier this year, Lelouch also got to pilot a new Gundam Wing Zero in his colors.

Be sure to check the #ルルーシュ生誕祭2020 tag on Twitter for your dose of fanart and cosplay. A new official artwork for Lelouch was published by the official Code Geass Twitter account:

The post Code Geass Band FLOW Whip Up Zero Cosplay For Lelouch's Birthday, New Project Reveal Stream Coming This Saturday by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.

Tales of 25th Anniversary Stream Coming December 15 With "Latest Information" On The Series

tales of 25th anniversary stream feature

Bandai Namco announced a new special stream for the 25th anniversary of JRPG series Tales Of, with "the latest information on the series", meaning we could be getting Tales of Arise news. The stream will be held on December 15 at 0600 ET (Click here for a time zone conversion table). YouTube and Persiscope pages for the stream will be up at a later date.

The stream will also include new information on upcoming goods, events, and for the mobile games Tales of Asteria, Tales of the Rays, and Tales of Crestoria. The stream will also include multiple developers of the Tales of series looking back and sharing exclusive development stories. Lastly, multiple musical performances will be held.

The Tales of 25th anniversary stream will feature:

  • Chiaki Matsuzawa as MC,
  • Tales of Producer, Tales of Arise Producer Yusuke Tomizawa.
  • Game Journalist Riko Kushida.
  • Junko Iwao (Mint in Tales of Phantasia).
  • Chihiro Suzuki (Luke in Tales Of The Abyss).
  • Kōhei Amasaki (Kanata in Tales of Crestoria).
  • Music band Deen.
  • Composer Motoi Sakuraba
  • Composer Go Shiina
  • Singer Songwriter Misono

Moreover, four key and longtime developers of the Tales of Series will be present:

Shinichiro Okamoto. One of the main creators of the series since Phantasia.

Makoto Yoshizumi, One of the Producers of the series. From May 2002 to 2007, when he then switched to "General Producer".

Yoshito Higuchi, Director on Destiny 2, Symphonia. Chief Director on Abyss, Vesperia.

Tatsuro Udo, 2D map Programmer on Phantasia. Battle Programmer on Eternia, Destiny 2, Rebirth, Destiny PS2 Remake, Graces. Lead game Designer on Zestiria. Battle Game Design on Berseria.

Here's our analysis on what kind of announcements this Tales of 25th anniversary stream could contain:

Overall, this looks like a talk show to have fun reminiscing about the series, rather than a place where we'll get big announcements. Tales of Arise currently has no release date estimate. I doubt we'll hear one on this stream. However, we could learn a bit more on the game.

Most notably, seeing so many artists will be on stream, it'll very likely the theme song of either Tales of Arise or another game will be announced. It's possible Bandai Namco will announce the trademarked Tales of Luminaria and reveal its theme songs.

Bandai Namco didn't announce yet who is handling Tales of Arise's OST. It's possible both Motoi Sakuraba and Go Shiina are working on it.

Even if the stream includes no new information on Tales of Arise, it's very likely Yusuke Tomizawa will at least share a quick development update.

Lastly, we could get announcements or hints towards remakes or remasters of past games. There are plenty of Tales of games who never left Japan too. Bandai Namco teased announcements for the 25th anniversary after all.

Whatever happens, we'll be here with a full summary of the stream, so stay tuned.

Tales of Arise was first announced at E3 2019. The game is, for now, planned for PC, PS4, Xbox One. First planned for 2020, Arise ended up indefinitely delayed, but then was trademarked in Australia. Several goods have been launched for the 25th anniversary. In related news, Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi's Slayers is having a collab crossover event with Tales of The Rays.

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Video Game Usage In The US Reportedly Up To 79% Throughout 2020

switch

Many stay-at-home activities have seen a rise over the last year due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. More and more people are finding ways to properly social distance while still keeping their sanity by either doing things they already enjoy or discovering new hobbies to take on. As such, video game usage has reportedly seen a massive spike to 79% in the last year within the United States. NPD Group's executive director of games Mat Piscatella spoke with GameDaily.biz to further explain the upward trend.

The video game industry in 2020 has generated roughly $159 billion in the United States alone. It also has been growing exponentially to become a powerhouse over the years that has been able to nearly rival the film industry. Now with the advent of the pandemic and social distancing being the "new normal," options of entertainment have shifted from traditional avenues such as restaurants and movie theaters to something like gaming that people can do from the safety of their homes.

Animal crossing

Another very interesting statistic that NPD highlighted was that video game usage specifically among the 45 and older age group has grown to previously unforeseen numbers. To break that down even further, playtime of adults age 45-54 rose 59%, and then the 55-64 age group rose 48%; adults 65 and older saw 45% increases. In recent years, older gamers were beginning to have more and more of a presence, so this uptick in their own usage falls in line with what we've seen previously.

Piscatella went on to say that it's unclear whether these numbers will continue beyond the pandemic. While people may potentially revert to their pre-pandemic behaviors, it is still possible that they could very likely keep with the hobbies that the current state of affairs pushed them into. Whether or not this spike will become the new norm will remain to be seen over the coming months and beyond. If anything, the massive growth that game usage has seen is very much a microcosm for much of what we can see in regards to other hobbies that people historically do in the comfort of their homes. It remains to be seen how much of this will persist in the coming months or even years, but it's safe to say that we can expect to see a lot of changes within the industry and beyond as things go forward.

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Metal Gear Solid Casts Oscar Isaac As Solid Snake In Live-Action Adaptation

Metal Gear Solid

The talks for a live-action film of Hideo Kojima's PlayStation masterpiece Metal Gear Solid has been ongoing for years now, but it looks as though the project is starting to gain real traction. Oscar Isaac, known for many roles including Poe Dameron in the latest Star Wars trilogy has been cast as the iconic stealth operative Solid Snake.

This is the first major update we've gotten on the film since almost exactly one year ago where Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts announced that a draft of the film's script had been submitted to Sony. Vogt-Roberts did however post a fun little tweet regarding Metal Gear Solid and the quarantine earlier this year. The script was penned by Derek Connolly who wrote Vogt-Roberts most recent film Kong: Skull Island.

With the casting of Isaac, the film could possibly begin production in the coming months, but there are currently no details as to when the film will begin filming. The project has been ongoing since 2015 so there's honestly no telling how much longer things are going to take.

Director Vogt-Roberts is an avid gamer and says that he wants to do right by Kojima's vision when recreating it onto the big screen. He has also said in the past that he wanted Oscar Issac in the role of Solid Snake and Issac himself said during a press interview for one of his films Triple Frontier that he was aiming to get the role even before the casting process even began.

Metal Gear Solid will surely be an ambitious film to get right on the screen, but I am optimistic now with Oscar Issac playing Snake. There are still many famous characters from the game like Revolver Ocelot and Liquid Snake that still need to be cast. There is a lot of potential for a star-studded cast with Vogt-Roberts having many famous actors including Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, and Samuel L. Jackson for Kong: Skull Island I hope he will be able to pull off the same this time around.

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The Game Awards Brings Stephen A. Smith, Troy Baker, and Swedish Chef As Presenters

The Game Awards

Following yesterday's announcement of Gal Gadot and Brie Larson to be presenters at this year's The Game Awards, we have three more lined up and one of them will probably surprise you more than most. Stephen A. Smith who is a popular sportscaster will be presenting the Best Sports/Racing Game category. He recently was a part of a promotional video for Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

Troy Baker will also be presenting an award. Troy Baker is arguably best known for his performance as Joel from The Last of Us franchise. Lastly, the Swedish Chef from The Muppets will also be handing out an award. The Muppets have been ongoing guests at The Game Awards in recent years with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker being on the show last year.

While these presenters are in a sense better than those previously announced I would prefer to see those who work in the game industry get an opportunity to present, even if it is with a celebrity. Since the conception of The Game Awards, Host Geoff Keighley has tried to make it bigger every year, but bigger doesn't always mean better.

We will surely get more presenter announcements as we lead up to The Game Awards this Thursday, December 10th so we will update you as more come along. Don't forget to check back in during the night of The Game Awards to update you on all the exciting new reveals that will occur throughout the night.

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Atlus Needs A Better Way to Add New Story Elements to Their Re-Released Titles

Atlus

Warning: This article contains major story spoilers for Persona 5 Royal and Catherine: Full Body by Atlus.

Over the past decade, Atlus has quickly become one of my favorite developers, to the point where several of their titles are some of my favorite games of all time. Persona 5 was my 2017 Game of the Year, Catherine (the original) is my favorite puzzle game, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is an incredible JRPG that didn't get enough recognition, even with getting a second life on Switch earlier this year. Despite my love for these games, I have noticed a trend with Atlus's recent titles like Catherine: Full Body and Persona 5 Royal, which expand on each game's original release; the new story additions feel out of place.

Atlus Catherine: Full Body

Rin and Vincent in Catherine: Full Body

Catherine: Full Body introduces a new love interest into the mix with Rin, adding five new story paths to the original's eight. Playing through Rin's true route, it seems natural to have the original romance options of Katherine and Catherine still being core parts of the overarching narrative (even with the narrative issues I think it brings). However, if you end up going down a path where you do not romance Rin, he is simply written off. Chief Producer Katsura Hashino said back in 2018 that "Catherine: Full Body is a complete version of the concept from the previous game, which can be delivered because the sense of values has been diversified since 7 years ago." While this might be true, it doesn't translate well from the original Catherine to Catherine: Full Body ten years later.

Persona 5 Royal has similar problems but to an even more significant degree. Outside of the great quality of life improvements that Persona 5 Royal brings, the game introduces two new characters into the story…kind of. Dr. Maruki and Kasumi are new Confidants that you can form relationships with, and while those do bring some great benefits in combat throughout the base story of Persona 5, they are more or less there for character development until the new semester at the end of the game.

Atlus Persona 5 Royal

Kasumi in Persona 5 Royal.

Simply put, I do not like the new semester in Persona 5 Royal. It doesn't work for me for a myriad of reasons, but the main point is that the new ending is a much weaker conclusion to an already perfect one. In the original Persona 5, after defeating Yaldabaoth everything goes back to normal and reality is restored. We say our goodbyes to Morgana (for a short time) and the Phantom Thieves go back to their regular lives. Everything is resolved and the game feels over until you wake up the next day, in a completely different reality, and have twenty more hours of the game to play. Why? Simply to focus on Dr. Maruki and Kasumi, the new characters who had very little significance in the original story. Akechi also returns after his assumed death, but there is no concrete evidence that he comes back permanently after fixing reality.

Granted, there are some unexpected character revelations throughout, but the stakes at hand feel smaller this time around. Also, Dr. Maruki did not make for a compelling villain. The cognitive reality he created was flawed at the base level because the Phantom Thieves still existed, despite the motivations that led its members to join never happening. He presents the same ideas to you numerous times, and each time he is surprised by your reaction as if he's heard it for the first time. In short, these are all just unnecessary additions to an already masterful game. There are just too many issues to justify the new characters and story points that Royal introduces. If it weren't for the quality of life improvements that were brought to the game, I would recommend newcomers to play Persona 5 over Persona 5 Royal.

Atlus Persona 4 Golden

The gang's all here in Persona 4 Golden.

The thing that fascinates me about this trend is that Atlus has found a better way of bringing new elements for the narrative in their re-releases before. In Persona 4 Golden, the updated version of Persona 4 added new characters and story elements, but it didn't feel as jarring due to the true ending of Persona 4 being a different conclusion in Golden. In Golden, the true ending just adds an epilogue following the original's conclusion. Persona 3 FES is a similar situation to Persona 3, having an epilogue following the main story known as The Answer. To me these are better ways of implementing new story points because mainly they don't affect the vision of the original versions, and it doesn't make them feel shoe-horned in.

Some could argue that the third semester in Royal is an epilogue in itself, but it feels more like a fourth act after the curtains have obviously closed. Every Atlus game I've played feels precise on the way it is built and executed, so when bringing new things into the fray, it feels polarizing. I don't know why Atlus decided to stray away from its original format in applying story elements for the definitive versions of their games, and honestly, I think Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 FES are great examples to look at. But if they continue going down the path they're on, I would rather have them add nothing narrative-wise whatsoever to these updated releases.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

Kiria putting on a show in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore.

To highlight another recent example, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE originally released on the Wii U and while very few played it at the time, I was ecstatic when it was announced to be getting a Switch port. My first thought at the time was "I hope Atlus adds new parts to the story," and was saddened to hear that would not be the case. Even so, once I finished Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore earlier this year, I realized that it didn't need it. There were new features and additions like costumes and party members to participate in Sessions, but its story was perfect the way it was.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne is getting a remaster next year in the west and it seems that it will be in a similar situation as Tokyo Mirage Sessions, which is great to hear. After originally releasing on the PlayStation 2, it has been a long time (if not the first time) that many players will experience it, and I'm looking forward to not seeing any major narrative points being posthumously injected inside it.

Atlus doing these re-releases in general isn't particularly bad, especially to give deserving games another chance to build success. But with Persona 5 being the already incredible JRPG it is, to me it never felt necessary to do a re-release with Persona 5 Royal, especially with it being only three years after the original's release. Catherine: Full Body gets more of a pass because it was a decade since the release of Catherine, so it felt more welcome. But even then, Full Body still has some issues when it pertains to the new narrative aspects.

It is fair to say that I don't know if I would feel the same way if I never played the original Catherine or Persona 5, but to me, these new story inclusions from Atlus' updated releases stick out like a sore thumb. I think Catherine: Full Body and Persona 5 Royal are spectacular games that deserve the love that they get. I will also never argue against a game becoming more accessible for a bigger audience to play it, which both titles do. But from a story standpoint, I feel like they were better in their original forms.

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FIFA 21 Brings Out An Exceptional Team of Group Stage for FUT

FIFA 21, EA Sports

FIFA 21 is back with yet another promo. However, this time around the new team is entirely based on performance. Team of the Group Stage takes the best players from the group stages of Champions League and Europa League football and puts them in FUT. As you probably expect, that means several top-tier talents and some lower-ranked darlings. Check it out below.

Many of the usual players are on the TOTGS team. Obviously, the big names like Lionel Messi, Kevin De Bruyne, Joshua Kimmich, and Bruno Fernandes are going to headline the event. After all, they already have great cards in FIFA 21. So now those cards are going to be even better? Expect a sizeable chunk of change if you're hoping to pick them up soon.

Another player who is going to be very expensive is Marcus Rashford. His normal card already goes for over 200,000 coins. That TOTGS card will not be cheap. Staying with the Premier League players, Raheem Sterling, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nicholas Pepe, and Diogo Jota are all in the squad. Plus, Lucas Moura is sitting in SBCs if you want to use some untradeable players to craft an upgrade for a great winger with amazing links.

Jota is an especially fun addition, as he also has a Ones To Watch card. Since TOTGS is performance-based, that OTW card will also get a rating bump. So, if you did that objective, congrats on your new 83-rated Jota.

Over in the Italian league, players can pick up Alejandro Gomez, Francesco Acerbi, Theo Hernandez, and Morata. Both Gomez and Hernandez are popular Serie A options, so don't expect to get them too cheap. Acerbi, on the other hand, is basically SBC fodder unless you're a big Lazio fan. Morata might have a bit more value, but with his pace, he's going to be tougher to play at striker.

Joining Messi from La Liga is Diego Carlos. Given that he was already an incredibly meta center-back, I'd expect this one to come at a pretty hefty price. Meanwhile, in the French Ligue 1, players can grab Keylor Navas and Yusuf Yazici. Again, these players shouldn't be too expensive but are fun cards for fans of those clubs.

Finally, the Bundesliga has two players in the team and one in Objectives. If you want, you can go pick up Erling Haaland and Nico Elvedi to fill out your Bundesliga team. Haaland already has two other performance-based cards, which are currently about half the price of his TOTGS. Unless you just have to have something new and shiny, I'd probably just grab one of those. Kingsley Coman is the player in Objectives. You can do the whole thing in Friendlies and probably finish it in a few hours with some luck. Not a bad card for the time commitment.

Between this TOTGS squad dropping into FUT and the likely beginning of FUTmas next week, now is a great time to hop into FIFA 21. Sure, the servers are often a mess, which makes gameplay terrible, but it's hard to deny that EA is at least giving the community tons of content to play. That, in itself, is a solid upgrade from last year's game.

FIFA 21 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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Relax by The Fire With A Merry Hyrule Christmas, a Zelda-Themed Album

A Merry Hyrule Christmas

It's the holiday season, and you know what that means. Eggnog, chestnuts, deals on games and a whole lot of holiday-themed events. While it's nice that Batman Arkham Knight got some new costumes for the holidays, that's not really something you can enjoy with the family. That being said, there is a new album full of holiday music, and it's all themed around The Legend of Zelda.

The album, titled A Merry Hyrule Christmas, was released on November 26 by Seattle-based game music group Materia Collective and features eight Hyrule-themed tracks. While the entire project sounds like a joke at first, it's actually surprisingly good. Each track is wonderfully orchestrated with pianos, string instruments and vocals to match. If you're gathering with family for the holidays (safely hopefully), you should be able to play this album without the grandparents batting an eye. Just don't play track number seven, Din Rest Ye Merry Deku Scrubs unless you're by yourself, it's more rock than holiday orchestral.

In all honesty, A Merry Hyrule Christmas is a wonderful listen, and that can be chalked up to the album's producer. Eric Bucholz, who orchestrated the soundtracks of Dauntless, Darksiders Genesis and Ori and the Will of the Wisps arranged and produced the album. You can find more of his work, including his work for Limit Break Audio, on his website.

For those that want to bring the land of Hyrule to their hearth this holiday season, it's quite simple. Just follow this link and take your pick of a music streaming platform.

 

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Five Dates Interview — Writer & Director Paul Raschid on Making a Romantic Comedy for Gamers

Five Dates

We all know dating is hard, especially when it comes to online dating. Granted, 2020 has proven to be extra challenging in the dating field, which makes Five Dates, the newly-released online dating FMV sim, even more of a relatable experience than it already is. Even more impressive is the fact that the game was made remotely during the COVID-19 lockdowns, bringing an extra layer to a game about finding love during unusual times.

Following the game's launch last month, we had the opportunity to talk with Paul Raschid, the writer of Wales Interactive's newest FMV title Five Dates. Specifically, we went into the making of the game and how Raschid and the developers of the game envisioned Five Dates as being a sort of "romcom for gamers." The conversation was also in collaboration with Six One Indie, where Mike Towndrow joined to talk more about the game.

You can watch the full interview with Paul below:

Five Dates is an FMV game that brings players through an "interactive feature film" starring Vinny, who has just joined a dating app for the first time and begins matching up with potential new love interests. He eventually finds himself matching with five women through the app, and the game has players stepping into the role of Vinny through his conversations with each of the five women.

Naturally, all five of the women that he goes on video dates with have wildly different personalities and interests, and during the conversations, the player has to make decisions about what to talk about next or to answer the dates' questions. By the end of the game, the decisions and choices that you've made will impact your relationships with each of the potential love interests and how the story finally plays out.

Five Dates is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac.

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