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Resident Evil Village's Entire Plot Has Leaked And Is Out In The Wild

Resident Evil 8 Village

The Resident Evil series has become one of the leakiest series out there, it seems. From a few sources, we've gotten some degree of details on titles before they launch, as well as a lot of behind the scenes information about how they developed (if you chose to believe those insiders, anyway). But with Resident Evil Village, it seems the overall scope of that is something else as we know everything, and do mean…everything, about it despite it not set to come out until next year.

If you recall, Capcom saw a massive leak that included lots of information about their titles via a large scale hack. It's all part of essentially a group holding their data for ransom, leaking more and more of that information as time goes on. Because of that, we know a lot about Village, even more than usual for the franchise. For instance, we know about when Capcom is planning to release the game along with its edition and we saw some enemies not long ago.

Well, just as something of a PSA, all the plot details as well as screens from the game's ending are out in the wild. We won't be posting them here, and Capcom seems to be working hard to take down as much as possible, but they are very much out in the wild at this point (I got spoiled accidently on a key plot point, just as an example, and I promise it's very easy to find those spoilers with very little digging if you crave them). It's going to be quite hard to avoid the internet hotspots until the game releases in what's looking likely to be April of 2021, but do your best and walk on eggshells around any Resident Evil news or discussion if you want to avoid spoilers.


Microsoft, Sony, And Nintendo Commit To Promoting "Safer Gaming"

So, let's be honest for a minute or two here, the gaming online sphere is a pretty rough place sometimes. It's been one for as long as I can remember, such as when Xbox Live first started and a man told me he was going to come to my house, kill me and then eat my dog in front of my dead corpse (not sure why my corpse would care at that point) as one of my first introductions to a community that could be rather nasty at times. Things like death threats and bullying are like a common occurrence nowadays, especially when big hyped AAA games are in play. Well, for what it's worth, it seems the three big platform holders want to make it a safer place.

In a news post from Xbox Wire, Dave McCarthy, Corporate Vice President of Xbox Operations penned out a lengthy post about making the gaming community a "safer" place. While this was on the Xbox side of things, he said that he spoke for all three of the companies about it.

"At Xbox, we are aligned with both Nintendo, on behalf of the community of Nintendo Switch players, and PlayStation in our belief that protecting players online requires a multidisciplinary approach – one that combines the benefits of advanced technology, a supportive community, and skilled human oversight. We can accomplish more when we work toward the same goal, and so we will each continue investing in, evolving, and amplifying our approaches to user safety. As we continue this work, we will prioritize protecting the safety of our players, especially those most vulnerable."

What does that mean? Well, McCarthy outlines a few things they are planning to do such as holding themselves accountable for making their platforms a better place, teaming with regulators more directly and empowering players and parents on how to better monitor their gaming experience. In the end, though, what kind of real-life actions this will lead to is up in the air. The idea is a nice one, of course, but unless it actual leads to some type of palpable difference to how things are, I imagine it doesn't mean a lot to most people.


Sea of Thieves Video Celebrates 1000 Days Since Launch

Rare's Sea of Thieves has had quite a journey. Despite issues at launch (check out our review here for more details), it soldiered on and received more updates. It's been 1000 days since the title first launched in March 2018 and to celebrate, the developer has released a new video going over each of the different milestones.

Initially available for Xbox One and Windows Store, Sea of Thieves eventually came to Steam where it had a strong reception. As of July 2020, it's passed 15 million players and has also come to Xbox Series X/S with several enhancements.

Even with so many different updates, Sea of Thieves will perhaps see its biggest change yet with its move to a battle pass system called Plunder Pass. Along with 100 levels to unlock for different rewards, there will also be different trials for players to take up. A new Plunder Pass will be available every three months alongside monthly live events. More details can be found here.


Metroid Prime 4 Developer is Looking for a Boss/AI Designer

Metroid Prime 4

Retro Studios took over the Metroid Prime 4 project nearly two years ago now, at which point development on the game was rebooted from scratch. Concrete updates from Nintendo or Retro have been understandably sparse since then, but things such as job listings have kept fans in the loop about the game's development to some extent.

We have another one of those here. Retro Studios recently took to Twitter to generate some interest in filling out a position on the Metroid Prime 4 development team- specifically, that of Boss/AI Designer, which will do pretty much exactly what the position's name implies. Metroid Prime as a series (Metroid as a whole, in fact) has always prided itself on strong boss battles, so this should be a pretty important position to fill out.

Retro Studios have been hiring talent from a number of top studios over the last couple of years, and recently even moved into a new HQ to facilitate an expansion while they continue to work on the upcoming Switch title. Read more about that through here.


Cyberpunk 2077 – OpenCritic Page Issues Warning About "Intentionally" Misleading Xbox One and PS4 Pre-Launch Footage

cyberpunk 2077

Though Cyberpunk 2077 has already been a healthy commercial success for CD Projekt RED, the RPG's launch has been plagued with numerous prominent issues, many of which have resulted in bad press for the Polish developer. Owing to severe and significant technical issues that often render the game nearly unplayable on base PS4 and Xbox One consoles (which stands in stark contrast to their statements shortly before launch), the developer has seen its share prices plummeting, and has had to issue an apology for the same, in addition to promising major updates in the coming months.

Of course, one of the primary points of criticism for most people has been the fact that CD Projekt RED intentionally held back any and all footage of the game running on base PS4 and Xbox One hardware, on top of also not sending out review codes for those consoles prior to the game's launch. Many who had the game pre-ordered on consoles have felt misled by CD Projekt RED's practices, and in an unprecedented move, review aggregating site OpenCritic has issued a warning on the game's page to reflect the same.

OpenCritic recently announced on Twitter that they have added a warning on Cyberpunk 2077's page that notes the disparities between the game's PC and console versions, in addition to pointing out that CD Projekt RED have likely "intentionally sought to hide the true state of the game on Xbox One and PS4." This warning will remain on the game's page until February 2021- which is when its second major update is scheduled to go live (hopefully to iron out most of the game's biggest issues).

You can read OpenCritic's tweet and their aforementioned warning below.

Cyberpunk 2077 is out now on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia.


The Hong Kong Massacre Out on December 26th for Switch

The Hong Kong Massacre

Vreski's The Hong Kong Massacre has a release date for Nintendo Switch. The top-down, hard-boiled shooter is coming to the platform on December 26th. It will retail for $19.99 on the Nintendo eShop, though pre-ordering now will grant a 20 percent discount.

Originally launched for the PS4 and PC in January 2019, The Hong Kong Massacre is about a detective that blasts through criminals in revenge for his partner's death. Much like Strangehold, the mechanics encourage diving and dodging, seeking cover and using the environment to your advantage. Slow-mo is available and will help the player to fight back when overwhelmed. And while your foes will go down in one shot, that also applies to the player.

To encourage replay value, there are numerous challenges to complete through the levels. These will unlock new weapons like the rifle, SMG and shotgun. Each weapon has different upgrades for creating even deadlier means of dealing death. Check out the trailer below for Switch gameplay.


Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – Season One Battle Pass Trailer Reveals New Cosmetics

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Season One

With Season One of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War starting soon, Treyarch has released a new trailer showcasing its battle pass content. There's a new Legendary Operator, Stitch, and two new free weapons – the MAC-10 and GROZA. Check them out below.

The MAC-10 is a close to mid-range submachine gun while the GROZA is more of a long-distance assault rifle. Several new Legendary Blueprints are included with the battle pass including the Constable and Warden's Word. You can also expect the usual assortment of charms, camos, stickers and so on.

The battle pass's 100 tiers also include double weapon XP, Call of Duty Points, a watch and much more. It will be available for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone with content like a new Warzone map, 2v2 Gunfight for Cold War, new challenges and more in store. For more details on Treyarch's latest first person shooter, check out our review here.


Destiny 2: Beyond Light – The Dawning Rewards Include New Fusion Rifle, Exotic Ship

Destiny 2 - Glacioclasm

With The Dawning makes its annual return tomorrow for Destiny 2: Beyond Light players, Bungie has revealed some of the rewards that can be expected. Among these is a new Legendary fusion rifle called Glacioclasm. Whether it's viable in current content or not, there will be random rolls to farm during the event.

Eva will also have a new Exotic Ship that can be upgraded to change its look. This include spawn effects and engine streams along with a new animated shader only applicable to this ship. The Dawning this year will also have a community pursuit which provides some gifts upon completion. Said gifts include upgrade materials.

Of course, it wouldn't be a seasonal event without new Eververse content. There are new weapon ornaments, the Happy Trails finisher, Sparrows, Ghost Shells and more. It's worth noting that aside from the finisher and two weapon ornaments – Glee Barrage and Merry Maker – all items can be purchased with Bright Dust at some point.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Google Stadia and PC. Check out our review of it here.


Star Wars: Squadrons – B-wing, TIE Defender Added in Update 4.0

star wars squadrons

Motive Studios has released its newest big update for Star Wars: Squadrons which adds two new Starfighters. Update 4.0 adds the B-wing for the New Republic and TIE Defender to the Galactic Empire. Check out the trailer below to see them in action.

The B-wing is a heavy gunship, which means low maneuverability but fairly high durability. It has ion cannons and can deal significant damage to capital ships. If you're keen on hanging back and taking out foes from afar, it might be for you. By comparison, the TIE Defender is more an anti-Starfighter specialist.

Its shields provide strong damage resistance but it's also weak to ion weaponry. Players will need to manage their power efficiently but in return, they get the Advanced Power System which overcharges a system with max power. Other features include Custom Games and a server browser for multiplayer and training. Check out the full patch notes here.

Star Wars: Squadrons is currently available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC – check out our review here.

Star Wars Squadrons update 4.0

General

  • Added Custom Games and a server browser, available in the Multiplayer & Training menu
  • Adjusted Skill Rating requirements for each tier via server-side change last week (see below for full details)
  • Updated Skill Rating gain/loss ratios to better reflect each player's performance in a match via server-side change last week
  • Ongoing server-side matchmaking improvements
  • Fixed an issue where the game could crash if the player didn't skip through the outro screens of a match
  • Fixed an issue where the game could crash when loading into Fostar Haven
  • Fixed an issue where having Lighting quality set to Low could create intense flashes of light on Fostar Haven
  • Fixed an issue where AI in multiplayer could on occasion deal no hull damage to players with their primary weapons
  • Fixed or improved instances of poor collision detection on Fostar Haven, Galitan, Esseles, Nadiri Dockyards, Zavian Abyss, and Sissubo
  • Fixed issue where the interior of the TIE interceptor could disappear after respawning
  • Fixed issue where Star Destroyer engine VFX could flicker
  • Fixed an issue where PlayStation 5 visuals appeared blurry.


Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Gameplay Details Forms, Skills and More

Werewolf The Apocalypse - Earthblood

Cyanide's Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood has received a new extensive gameplay trailer which details the various forms that protagonist Cahal can use. Along with stealth, we also get a look at combat and the different abilities available. Check it out below.

There are three main forms for Cahal to use. Human is useful for long-range attacks with a crossbow, hacking computers and interacting socially. Lupus is the wolf form which provides more agility and allows for traversing through vents and quickly sneaking around. Then there's Crinos or werewolf form which is your main means of dealing damage in combat.

Crinos has two Stances – Agile and Heavy – with the former emphasizing quick movement and attacking and the latter focusing more breaking enemies' guard and damage resistance. Rage builds up, even when stealthily eliminating foes, so you have manage that before eventually fighting. During combat, Rage can be used for different special moves, like rushing towards a foe and tackling them.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is out on February 4th 2021 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4 and PC.