Grand Theft Auto V has sold 140 million copies, Take-Two have 93 games in development
Take-Two are having one of those oh-so-exciting investor calls and a couple of remarkable figures have been released. Grand Theft Auto V has now sold 140 million copies, a ridiculous amount, and it's still holding firm in the UK top ten sale charts nine years after it was initially released, this week at number six. Take-Two have also said they have 93 upcoming games , of which 63 are 'core gaming' titles, and 72 of them are for console and PC rather than smaller mobile titles. 47 of these are based on existing IPs and there will be more announcements on these "in the coming months".
A fair chunk of these will be sports titles on the 2K sports label and I doubt we will be seeing anything of Grand Theft Auto VI, but perhaps the next Bioshock game may be revealed.
That is currently in development at Cloud Chamber, a studio set up by Take-Two last year with former Bioshock developers Hoagy de la Plante, Scott Sinclair, and Jonathan Pelling all on the payroll.
One game we know is on the way is the debut title from 31st Union, a studio set up in February 2019 with with Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey as its lead and many former Sledgehammer and Visceral games staff on the roster. Their title was meant to be revealed last year but nothing has been announced. Hangar 13, the team behind Mafia: Defintive edition, are also working on a new IP, as are Civilization and XCOM developers Firaxis Games.
In other good news Take-Two have said that "We don't believe and have never believed single-player games are dead" and they are committed to releasing both single player and multiplayer games.
Grand Theft Auto VI was trending on Twitter during the Super Bowl yesterday, some fans thought the game would be revealed during a half time ad break, it's unclear where that rumour came from but it obvious proved to be inaccurate.
Source: Twitter
Jamie Lee Curtis joins the cast of the Borderlands movie
Scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis is the latest star to join the forthcoming Borderlands movie. She will be playing an archaeologist named Tannis and may just have the information needed to unlock a mythical vault on Pandora.
Curtis joins Kevin Hart who will be playing Roland, a "serious acting turn for the star", and Cate Blanchett who will be playing Lilith, a character who appeared in the very first game. Eli Roth is directing the movie having previously worked with Blanchett in the film "The House With a Clock in Its Walls."
Back in June 2019 Full Circle reported that Lilith will be the main protagonist in the movie but it's unlikely Kevin Hart will be taking a backseat. A plot summary was also released last year.
The movie will find Lilith in the Atlas Corporation space prison when the CEO gives her the chance to earn her freedom by rescuing his daughter, the foul-mouthed Tiny Tina, on the planet Pandora. The mission takes an unexpected turn when it becomes clear that the little girl is the key to unlocking a valuable alien vault that Atlas wants all for itself.
Joining her on the adventure will be series mascot Claptrap, Tina's bodyguard Krieg, and a group of vault hunters, but it is unclear if they will be established game characters.
The film has been in development for a good few years and was announced way a back in 2015.
Jamie Lee Curtis is having bit of a Mcconaissance having spent may years away from big budget Hollywood films. The rebooted 2018 Halloween film brought back her character Laurie Strode and she quickly followed it with a star turn in Knives Out. She will also be starring in to the two Halloween sequels that are currently in production, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.
Source: Deadline
Forza Horizon 4 is coming to Steam in March – Hot Wheels DLC also announced
Playground Games has announced that Forza Horizon 4 will release on Steam next month on 9th March. Already available on PC via the Microsoft Store, the hit open world racer will screech onto the new storefront as part of Microsoft's commitment made in 2019. Set in an idyllic recreation of Northern England and Scotland, it will arrive alongside everything that's already been released or added to the game, including the two paid DLC expansions, Fortune Island and LEGO Speed Champions, and the extra free game modes that have been added to the game over the last few years, The Eliminator and Super7.
Playground also announced a new Hot Wheels Legends Car Pack, which will be "coming soon" to the game as part of Series Update 32. This leans on a familiar tie in for Forza Horizon fans, with Forza Horizon 3 having received a glorious Hot Wheels expansion that covered the game world with miles of orange rubber track.
Set in the UK countryside, the game advanced the series with shifting seasons that altered the content and races available for you to play. In our Forza Horizon 4 review, Dom said, "Beautiful, British and bold, Forza Horizon 4 sets a new benchmark for open-world arcade racing."
Since then the game has received plenty of updates, as well as two major expansions, heading to Fortune Island and then on to the rather awesome Lego Speed Champions DLC, before getting a Battle Royale-style Eliminator mode in December 2019. Already a showcase on Xbox One X and PC, it was the perfect candidate for Microsoft to revisit and update for Xbox Series X as well, giving straight up 60fps performance without having to settle for a performance mode. Now they're bringing the game to a broader audience on PC than ever before.
Most recently, Playground added Super7 at the end of 2020, a new mode that allows for users to create tracks and events within the world, adding on top of the existing environment with a Blueprint Builder. Similar user generated content options have featured in the series previously, but this takes things to a whole new level, comparable with Grand Theft Auto Online's creation tools.
Forza Horizon 4 launched back in 2018 for Xbox One and PC to great acclaim, just a few months before Microsoft committed to bringing their future PC releases to Steam, day and date alongside their Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass release. They have periodically also brought older titles such as State of Decay 2 and Sea of Thieves to Steam as well.
Source: press release
Final Fantasy 7 Remake reveal teased – is a PS5 and Xbox announcement coming?
This weekend, Square Enix are planning to share some new details on Final Fantasy 7 Remake it has been confirmed. On February 13th there will be a live orchestra broadcast featuring music from the game – it's sure to be quite the performance though Final Fantasy fans have been teased with an exclusive reveal. The event is only accessible to those in Japan who purchased a ticket for the show, Final Fantasy 7 Remake's co-director, Motomu Toriyama, announcing that there will be a special section in which new information on the game is shared with viewers.
This news comes via the official Square Enix Music Twitter account with tweets being translated by Final Fantasy enthusiast, Audrey.
FF7R Co-Director Toriyama's message about the upcoming FF7R Orchestra Concert is VERY interesting. He mentions there will be a special small section of the concert where he will talk about some info about FF7R revealed only during the concert
Here's the subs for the video! pic.twitter.com/YAZJAUufrK
— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) February 8, 2021
With this being an orchestra – and one that's only being shown in Japan – the FF fandom have been speculating as to how big the reveal could be. However, Audrey points out that in the build up to Saturday's show (which will begin at 5PM JST), it looks like Square are bringing key developers on board to help hype the forthcoming announcement including producer Yoshinori Kitase. In a previous Final Fantasy orchestra event, attendees were the first to see the E3 2019 extended trailer before it was later shown at the publisher's own press conference.
It's very unlikely that we will hear news of a sequel this weekend. With the PS4 12-month exclusivity period about to expire on Final Fantasy VII Remake, our money is on the reveal of additional versions coming to Xbox One and PC with an enhanced edition or upgrade coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake scored an unstoppable 10 out of 10 in our review, fusing what made the original game so special with some truly clever modernisation. Here's how Tuffcub capped off his review:
An utter joy to play from start to finish, packed with memorable scenes, moustache-twirling baddies, and epic battles. The first part of Final Fantasy VII Remake isn't just polished, it's opulent.
Final Fantasy VII Remake went on to take the top gong in our Game of the Year showdown last year.
Source: Twitter
Maquette is a first person puzzler coming to PS5, PS4, and PC in March
Annapurna Interactive and developer Graceful Decay have confirmed that the first person puzzle game Maquette will be coming to PS5, PS4, and PC on March 2nd. Maquette was originally revealed last year for PC before there was confirmation it would also release on PS4 and PS5. The game is a recursive puzzler and that means that the world of Maquette you explore is found within a larger version of itself. This will allow any movement or change you create in the small world to ripple into the bigger world with changes being mirrored. The game is not just a puzzler but also a love story.
The description for Maquette reads:
Maquette is a first-person recursive puzzle game that takes you into a world where every building, plant, and object are simultaneously tiny and staggeringly huge. Maquette makes it possible by twisting the world into itself recursively in an MC Escher-esque fashion.
Head to the center of the world and you'll feel like a giant, towering over buildings and walls. But venture further out, and start to feel small as things get larger and larger – to the point where cracks in the ground become chasms.
In Maquette, you will explore the scales of everyday problems in a modern-day love story. Where sometimes the smallest of issues can become insurmountable obstacles.
Maquette follows the relationship of Kenzie and Michael and their first meeting and some rather awkward flirting as they enter into a relationship. The cast has been confirmed for Maquette as well with Bryce Dallas Howard and Seth Gabel taking the roles of the main characters as they explore the relationship. Partnering up with Sony for the PlayStation Indies initiative seems a pretty good way to try and steal the limelight of an ever busy video games industry.
Source: YouTube
Diving into the arctic world of Subnautica: Below Zero
In the memorable words of Jacksepticeye, we're going into the deep down dark deep down… That's right, Unknown Worlds is back with their much anticipated Subnautica sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero.
If you're not familiar with the original, Subnautica wass a survival game that predominantly takes place underwater, and the sequel follows in its wake. As someone who has a fear of underwater in video games, the idea of a whole game of underwater antics used to terrify me – honestly, it still does – but while the dark crevasses of these Unknown Worlds' titles are sure to give even the bravest explorer the chills, they have undeniable charm. Arguably, this charm comes from the ability to research alien aquatic creatures, build and customise your bases, and hopefully unlock the secrets of an alien planet.
These elements are what primarily drove the first game, with its story feeling almost secondary to the survival and investigative aspects; yes, there were important details about the Aurora Station to be found, but it was so easy to get sidetracked by everything else. It's a belief that's arguably behind the story-rich approach Subnautica: Below Zero is taking.
Story spoilers ahead — don't go any further if you want to learn about the story organically through play.
During the early access preview and developer discussion, the devs made it abundantly clear that they've taken the series in a more story-driven direction. This is why we're introduced to the main character, Robin, and her reasons for being on planet 4546B very early on — because it's what compels us deeper into the depths of the ocean. That being said, they were quick to reiterate that they wanted to make sure the story wasn't too linear. Consequently, those who've seen YouTube let's plays of the title through early access will notice that Robin's story has been given a massive overhaul.
Back in its early stages of development, the reason for Robin being on planet 4546B was related to her job: similar to her sister, Sam, she was a researcher tasked with learning more about the planet. Fast forward to the latest builds of Subnautica: Below Zero, and we find Robin on the search for answers after learning something's happened to her sister. As one of those devout gamers who's been religiously awaiting news about the game, I couldn't help but ask why this change came about.
Risk. It's a simple, but incredibly valid reason for the decision — without that sense of needing answers, of wanting to learn the fate of her sibling, players didn't get the full effect of this immersive world. There were external risks, such as the squid sharks (a new creature to frantically swim away from), but it wasn't personal enough to make us invested. As if family crisis wasn't enough of a risk factor, there's the planet's harsh elements to set our hearts racing faster.
In the original game, we encountered plenty of fantastical thunderstorms, but nothing quite as unforgiving as the arctic. By having greater challenges on land, the game takes on a refreshed feel — we don't feel like we're merely playing a rehashed game, we feel like this is a whole new chapter of Subnautica. This is exactly what the devs wanted, and that I feel they've achieved thus far. During the events of the first game, we rarely had to spend much time on land, however, this time around there's many reasons to keep our feet on solid ground. Though, as always, the main action is down in the darkness.
Ultimately, these subtle but vital decisions succeed in creating a more open world for us to roam as opposed to a rigid one. Of course, this means the gating of the game is dramatically different from the first, with several revelations coming earlier on, though still in a way that doesn't reveal too much too soon. This being said, do keep in mind that Subnautica: Below Zero is still in early access with a rough target for release in spring 2021, meaning that things can, and will, change as the game develops further.
Moving away from the story and to customisation, it's time for us to talk about bases. As fans of the first game will know, bases are crucial for survival. What's more, they provide a quirky avenue to express some of your personality in the game — you're able to design the base in your own vision, meaning your playthrough will always be slightly different from your friends'. If this was one of the reasons you loved Subnautica, you're in for a lot of fun because Unknown Worlds have built in a lot more range.
Players can look forward to changing the exterior colours of their base, can have larger glass-domed spaces, jukeboxes for some fan-created musical interludes, and plenty of other innovations. Partnered with this, there's some old equipment making a comeback, as well as some new alien hybrid tech to test drive. Essentially, these all act as a way of upgrading your character's capabilities as the game progresses, but in a way that continues to deliver the non-violent survival experience we've come to expect from Subnautica.
Naturally, before we wish you luck on your next expedition, we know you're all dying to know the answer to the biggest question of all: will there be more games in this series?
I put this to the devs during the event and was met with a message of hope; the team would love to return to this world again in the future because there's still so much more to discover. However, with the company and its team wanting to explore new directions, and with the knowledge that they're working on a new game in secret, if and when that'll happen is nothing but guesswork right now.
Considering that Robin's story is only just beginning, perhaps we should focus on the here and now rather than looking too far ahead? We don't want to be caught off-guard roaming the part of planet 4546B.
Total War: Wahammer II The Twisted and The Twilight update released
Creative Assembly has released a small update for Total Warhammer II's The Twisted and The Twilight Lords DLC pack. One of the main fixes that has come with this patch is that the multiplayer will not desync anymore if a single player does not own the DLC pack. Durthu's campaign has had a fix where the first battle will load the correct Athel Loren map. In the Vortex campaign trade agreements can be formed, and more victory objectives have been added. The full patch list can be found below, giving you all the details of the changes to expect once the download is done.
BUG FIXES
- Recruiting Ariel will no longer cause a desync in multiplayer campaigns if one player does not own The Twisted & The Twilight
- Forest Health now provides scaling diplomacy benefits, with each Forest affecting a different culture
- Bonus decrease behaviour of Wood Elves' teleportation cooldown is more consistent when it is applied to active cooldown
- Durthu's starting battle in Mortal Empires now correctly loads an Athel Loren forest map and not a Lustria jungle map
- Added additional Victory Objectives for Throt the Unclean in the Vortex campaign
- Norscan factions in the Vortex Campaign are now able to form trade agreements with other factions
- Buildings in the building browser will now only show enabled recruitment of units that your faction has access to
- The unit disband menu in the Flesh Lab is no longer lost when switching between armies
- Units in Skaven separatist armies now show the augments symbol on their unit card if they have any
- Intervention armies will now focus on ritual sites correctly
- Mutant Rat Ogres now have a chance to not be knocked back, increasing their combat performance
- Malevolent Branchwraiths (Beasts) will now cast Amber Spear
Last week, SEGA confirmed Total War: Warhammer III. Total War: Warhammer III will explore the mysterious Lands of the East and the daemonic Realms of Chaos for the first time in the series. It will dramatically expand on the factions of Chaos found in the game, featuring Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch as they wage war against Kislev and Cathay. The new grand campaign will see you tasked with saving or exploiting a dying god, with each race having a different journey through the Chaos Realm that builds up to an endgame to decide the fate of the world.
Source: Total War
Empire of Sin PC patch 1.03 is a huge update for the mobster management sim
Romero Games has released update 1.03 for Empire of Sin on PC, making sweeping changes to the mobster empire management sim after a less than stellar launch back in December. There's no word on when the update will come to PS4, Xbox One or Switch, but it is a big one for PC players, aiming to answer some of the many complaints that the community had about the game. In summary, it addresses poor combat AI, limits the overpowered fast travel and makes it so that you must be at War in order to attack an enemy faction.
Empire of Sin launched for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac on 1st December, but was immediately criticised for a number of issues and flaws, including some troublesome save file corruption issues. Some of the biggest issues were quickly addressed in a hotfix (albeit a week later on console), but given the proximity to the holiday break, Romero Games could only promise a further update in Q1 2021.
Update 1.03 is now here to tackle some of those issues with game design, making safehouses hidden, beefing up combat AI for the turn-based battles and cutting out some of the spammier ways to succeed to grow your empire. A further change is coming in update 1.04 to add a full auto-resolve, but for now the "mini-resolve" will let you choose to run away from fights.
In our Empire of Sin Review, Nic Reuben wrote, "Empire of Sin is a promising strategy game but one that feels woefully incomplete. I can't recommend it, but I can recommend following it's hopeful transition into something genuinely wonderful."
It looks like they've already taken a good stride forward in that regard.
Here's the full patch notes:
Empire of Sin 1.03 Patch Notes
The Highlights
- Safehouses are now hidden
- Combat AI has been improved and provides more challenge
- Added a Mini-resolve option to avoid nuisance combat demands. A new system will be implemented in the next update (1.04)
- Fast travel has been limited
- You can no longer attack an Enemy Faction you're not at War with
General Changes
- The game no longer pauses and minimizes when it loses focus
- AI ignores temporary alliances when deciding to break an alliance
- Loot crates are now rebalanced
- Adjusted racket income filter list to take the prosperity modifier into account
- Added separate notoriety gains for raze, ransack, and smash up
- Prevented Personality Traits from reapplying every time you save/load
- Removed time-free teleporting
- Fixed disappearing gangsters
- UI polish
- Locale polish
- Prevented alcohol resource errors when ransacking that could lead to inventory corruption
- Fixed instances of disappearing actors when upgrading ambience
- Fixed severe issues when a game is loaded where "master hotelier" is in effect
- Fixed an issue where actors could be sent to the void if two buildings changed their racket type at the same time
- Added more building and colour variety in the neighbourhoods
- Gangster Talents now need to be unlocked
- Fix boss ability items inheriting incorrect modifiers through weapon stats
- Add a wait to the flee action so players can see the characters leave the area
- Character model improvements
- Fixed an issue where if a player added a space or lowercase letters when editing a building name, the building name would not be displayed correctly
- Added more building variety throughout the neighbourhoods
- Better telegraphing and delay for Hotels Disbanding
- Better notifications for players when hotels are disbanded
- Fixed a softlock when assigning Lieutenants
- Fixed issue where if a character has more than 9 Status Effects on them, the UI will start to overlap. If they receive 28 or more, the icons will start to go off screen
- Empire screen filter lists scroll resets on repopulating
- The missing synergy icon has been found and returned to its rightful slot
- The Crew screen and Black Market now have no whitespace issues when viewed in 4:3
- The issue when switching to Asian languages and switching back would cause text to disappear in the tutorial is now resolved
- Updated the hiring costs for the starting gangsters
- An issue with Safehouse discovery resetting on load has now been laid to rest
- The awkward silences in sitdowns have now been filled with conversation
- Cleared the truce/end war sitdowns when war is removed
- Missing translations in the Settings window from the Title screen have been replaced
- Increased the difficulty of the difficulty levels
- Changed Threaten Option in sitdown pop up
- Fixed alcohol resource being released twice
- Save upgrader to fix older saves not loading from alcohol issue
- Saltis issue with rackets being locked fixed
- DMJ issue for Thompson not on map in Blues fixed
- Capone softlock when talking to Guard fixed
- When skipping to Ronnie's phone call in the tutorial, we didn't have a valid reference to the brewery. This has now been fixed
- Increased the tiers for racket guards for all major factions
- Multiple tooltips were missing in the Empire Overview, Finances and Alcohol info screen. We found them and the are now back where they belong
- The name of the neighborhood is now added to the surrender dialog options
- Various UI fixes
- Fixed an issue where sitdown and mission icons stayed fixed on screen if the player pressed 'f' to transition to another neighbourhood
- Made sure that the tutorial safehouse doesn't spawn exterior guards while the tutorial is active
- Added new advertisements, see if you can spot them all!
- Fixed Safehouse Discovered Softlock in Tutorial
- Friend In Need mission fix for not completing after killing lodge members
- Jacques Attacks mission fix for not completing if you upgrade all rackets at once
- Fixed crate positions
- Increased the sitdown timeout from 5 minutes to 15 minutes
- Unknown characters will no longer reveal the faction name if we start pre-combat near them
- Mark Target will now work in pre-combat and start combat immediately when activated
- Resolved an issue where the AI could initiate combat while a sitdown was beginning. This would result in a soft lock in some cases
- Added recruiting time to AI squads
- Removed war-free attacks. You want a fight, start a war
- Raul was placed so close to a building that his arm was in it
- Genna fix for Round The World mission not completing
- When the player refuses the police request for cash, their rating with the police is reduced depending on their notoriety. If they pay up, their rating with the police is increased
- Fixed a cursor issue when cancelling a load game request
- Nicknames should now display how you got them in a pop up
- Fixed an issue where all tutorial attacks by player were asking for confirmation
- Fixed an issue with safehouse storages being nil
- Prevented Moles from being added to selection
- Non-tutorial AI Factions now start with a safehouse security level of 2 instead of 1
- Fixed bookshelf collisions in bars
- Created a Sal's Tips update for 1.03 to advise players in-game as to what the updates are
- Updated Large Casino interiors
- Different colors for the Explore and the Exterminate Agenda icon outline on the minimap and street view. This change also fixes colors of agenda icons not updating when you encounter a squad from an unknown faction
- Fixed Status bar icons overlap with combat status UI
- Police now resume patrolling correctly after TurningABlindEye is over in a location
- Made all loot in crates uncommon
- O'Banion's mission POI not updating if racket becomes invalid is now fixed
- Fixed Duarte's mission racket showing 0 cost for buildings after takeover, CMA mission not continuing
- Injured Gangsters are now correctly disappearing after taking over a racket when they become injured
- Fixed Word on The Street mission not continuing because combat was starting during a conversation
- Various save game fixes
- Made prosperity only update on weekly events
- Fixed issue where character entered into a T-pose if they travel while paused
- Fixed issue where players could end up not being able to move long distances
- Traffic no longer brought to a standstill on completing the tutorial
- Fixed the issue with loot screens popping up when other factions find them
- Removed cash from loot crate drops
- The Municipal Pier is now properly named on the map screen
- Additional checking by minor faction AI to ensure target faction has requested alcohol before making trade request
Combat Fixes/Changes
- Issues with the AI not using grenades if they have to step out from cover have been fixed.
- Dead combatants can no longer panic during combat
- Allowed the boss to gain notoriety if anyone in their faction performs an execution
- Ensured that AI squads that are about to attack a building are not using other tactics before they attack
- Reduced the OW Angle for Dart Gun from 180 to 130 degrees and reduced the OW Angle for LP08 Pistol from 180 to 150 degrees
- Suppressed Fire shot does not deal damage to targets
- Ensured that combat can't start during conversations
- Fixed issue where player is able to equip regular rounds on dart gun
- Tweaked Last Rites as it can deal more damage than it is supposed to: All attacks with more than one shot would always deal crit damage after the first crit shot
- Fixed issue where certain conversations couldn't start combat
- Stopped heal over time effects being applied when their item is equipped
- Fixed a softlock in combat when moving characters who had been revived from bleeding out as the result of an overwatch shot
- Fixed Ability & Melee descriptions being truncated during combat
- Fixed issue where Gun panel would stay up with no gun icon
- Fixed an issue where entering combat during the war tutorial softlocks the game
- Remove the drunk animation while in combat to fix characters teleporting across the map
- Ensured errors in AI tactics don't block AI behaviour
- Fixed softlock related to a primary faction being eliminated in a war
- Fixed softlock when a revenge reaction turn was triggered after shooting
- Fixed softlock when using batter up on a character that doesn't die
- Weapon Balance: Reduced the effectiveness of a number of weapons. Critical hit damage has been reduced across the board. Removed the instant kill modifier from the Funeral Arranger Shotgun and the Deceiver Rifle. Added Knockback and Bleed to the Deceiver
- Fixed knife attack animation freezing
- Fixed save games with broken melee weapons after using a batter up reaction attack
- Fixed an issue where Knocking Out a character with an overwatch shot would softlock the game
- Fixed issue where character could be stuck in the knocked out pose after combat ends
- Last Rites ability has limited range, which was not implied by the game in any way. This is now fixed
- Fixed issue with Remedy not appearing on action bar
- Fixed issue with Hair Trigger ability activation popup showing even when character is knocked down
- Fixed an issue where certain combat reactions were using stale position / vision data. Could cause an issue where a character would "step out" to an old position several meters away
- Time Bomb will now disrupt overwatch when thrown
- Characters no longer get up after they have been executed if they were put in the BleedingOut state by a critical hit
- Fixed issue where Last Rites didn't indicate that DMJ's Mauser has 10 shots leading people to believe it is bugged
- If a gangster or boss will be affected by the exterior combat, the dialogue offering surrender now shows their name
- The camera will no longer move after the player abandons exterior combat when the attackers are attacking the outside of a building
- AI attacking building exteriors will now attack between 8-15 metres from the building door instead of between 0 – 5 meters
- Fixed issue where corpses would block player moving to tiles
- Vicekings boss Daniel leaned on us for getting his name wrong in German
- The camera will no longer move after the player abandons exterior combat when the attackers are attacking the outside of a building
- We have ensured the Run Away option is displayed in surrender dialogue if the character is under attack outside
- Added even more variety in the buildings
- Made sure characters cant get stuck in the overwatch pose at the end of combat
- Characters now rotate back to their overwatch direction after getting attacked
- Increased the duration before an AI will declare war without an antagonizing incident
- Adjusted weapon ranges and stats
- Smooth out the curves for weapon ranges to reduce a number of sharp drop offs.
- Lowered a number of critical damage multiplier values for numerous weapon types.
- Removed critical hit chance from a number of explosives weapons.
- Removed armor damage from rifles
- Fixed an issue where the AI would get close to the player
- Added new movement parameters that allows the AI to want to move towards the effective range of their weapon
- Improved the performance for moving towards enemies and grouping with allies
- Fixed an issue with all tiers of Saltis melee racket guard being equipped with Brass Knuckles. Now each tier of Saltis melee racket guard is equipped with appropriate tiers of melee weapon
- Wandering thugs and thugs near loot crates will no longer attack the player on sight. They will attack if the player opens a loot crate near them
- Guards of major and minor factions will now only attack the player faction characters on sight if they are at war
- Melee attacks now trigger the correct animation if the target bleeds out
- Fixed that combatants who start a battle while in sitting pose, will no longer stay in that pose for the whole fight
- Guards in rackets will no longer sit in chairs
- Resolved a UI Overlap in combat with large text settings
- Further updates to the combat AI to help them move when no targets are visible and stay put when they can do actions from their current position
- Made sure bleeding out targets are prioritised correctly in the chance to hit order
- Friendly fire no longer removes non-aggression types of pacts (ceasefires/defense agreements..etc)
- Fixed issue where Unleash Fury could fail to activate
- Reduce the movement debuff from exhaustion from -2 to -1
- Fixed an issue where clicking the "Exit Ambush" button did nothing in combat
- Character speed returns to normal if Drunk status wears off during combat
- Gut Shot sfx now only plays when someone gets shot in the gut
- Fixed issue with the Lifeline ability which could cause it to be applied incorrectly to characters close to the action
- Fixed an issue with Lifeline where the bonus could become stuck on a character
- Fixed a bug where characters could be warped out of the combat bounds at the beginning of combat if that character had been knocked down or killed by an overwatch shot in a previous combat
Mission Fixes/Changes
- Auto focusing missions that come from quest givers and boss missions
- Fixed failing Ryley mission when Alfred dies
- Fixed Helen being placed in Dyer mission when placement invalidated
- Removed repeated objectives failing missions
- Fixed alcohol production being stopped forever in CMA mission and Burned Booze and Ruined Barley event
- Fixed unclickable option for DMJ's mission
- Added placement invalidated to RPC missions so they stop failing when a building is upgraded
- Moved Kicking the Habit mission to mid game to stop both Maria missions spawning together
- CMA fixes – Stopping All Good Things on Alt time auto-completing, fix for Jacques Attack and They're onto Us
- Boss mission fixes – Stopping NPCs from spawning on band stand, buildings taken over by killing boss now count as conquering and progress mission, fix for DMJ mission Down Hearted Blues
- Fixed missions not completing in groups
- CMA fixes, Auto accepting mission rewards instead of relying on resolution pop up
- Persisting mission NPCs that are going to be resurrected to stop them from disappearing, misc boss mission fixes
- CMA fixes, body bag removal fix, removing persistent POI over Maria's head, adding do not revive tag to mission NPCs to stop them getting up after combat
- Moved any mission NPCs standing on stages in bars off them
- Fixed an issue where interior guards could duplicate themselves after winning a defensive fight
- Union mission, family business mission and NPC approaching player to talk fixed
- Lost and Found: After interaction with thugs, we have fixed the loading freeze when trying to enter racket
- Fixed some missions giving rewards even when they are failed
- Fixed Broken Menagerie not continuing if fight happens before thug fight
Thug Variants
- You should now see 13 variations of thugs
- The appearance is randomly selected
Racket Guard Changes
- Any old saves that were made before these changes were introduced will keep their previous racket guards until that racket is upgraded or sold and purchased again. Once upgraded or purchased the racket will start using the new guard setup.
- With each level of security upgrade the guards will now become much tougher
- A new tier of racket guard has been introduced at security upgrade levels 4 and 5
- These changes only attribute based. The number of guards has not changed and there has been no changes made to the guard inventories
- Fixed issue with racket guards not being replenished
Faction Changes
- Allowing the boss to gain notoriety if anyone in their faction performs an execution
- Fixing Spiffing Brit minor faction exploit
- Faction AI no longer attacks buildings outside of war. Existing attacks outside of war in older saves are cancelled.
- The diplomacy option for retribution demands has been removed
Safehouse Changes
- Safehouses now start out as hidden (white buildings you can't interact with)
- Discovery chance increases by 1% a week from meeting a faction
- Once a month a safehouse discovery chance checked and the safehouse is revealed if the check passes
- Diplomacy screen shows your current discovery chance
- Taking over that faction's rackets further increases the discovery chance and checks (dynamic percentage based on faction rackets remaining)
- Event fires on safehouse being discovered
- Guards don't show up outside the safehouse until the safehouse is discovered by the player
- Ensuring taking over safehouses correctly assigns lieutenants
- Fixed issue with gangsters flagged as "away" being able to be assigned to a safehouse
Source: Paradox
Aerial_Knight's Never Yield will endless run you into future-Detroit's most groove-laden corners
I will simply never be as cool as Aerial_Knight's Never Yield. The current demo that's appeared as part of the Steam Game Festival isn't so much oozing with style as it's been plunged head-first into a vat of style and been turned Joker-like into the grinning embodiment of it. An endless runner, with a penchant for the sounds of Detroit, it offers the kind of glorious musical gameplay that flows ever onwards towards gaming nirvana. Based on this demo, it might just get there.
If we're going to talk about Never Yield, we need to talk about the music. The work of Detroit artist Danime-Sama, the groove-laden tones go heavy on the driving bass lines and authentic saxophone while the track builds through the opening level with funky electric guitar licks to a crescendo that fits Never Yield's future-thriller heist setting like a fitted glove.
You're playing as Wally, a mysterious kid with a mechanical prosthetic leg and glowing eyes who's seemingly uncovered vital information that could change the path of futuristic Detroit forever. You're on the run, so it seems as though whoever, or whatever, you're wrapped up in, isn't so keen on you getting away with it. Along with the regular obstacles the game asks you to parkour your way past, there's mechanical sentries, gun-toting agents and vans intent on ramming you out of the picture, so never mind never yielding; you can never rest either.
As an endless runner, you attempt to keep Wally moving by avoiding whatever's put in your way. There's a beautifully straightforward controls for you to use, playing out on the WASD keys and leaving you a hand free to thump along on your desk in time with the music. Your four actions include a mid-range leap, handy for a pile of boxes or the odd piece of pipework, a super-powered jump to take you over fences and onto raised sections, an Apex Legends-aping slide and then a sprint to get you out of imminent danger.
You don't need anything else, with Never Yield clearly a game that's all about speed-runs, and trying to make it through without a single death. While I'm not often the kind of person who's able to turn down 'one more go', the fact that Never Yield asks 'do you yield?' when you fail makes it liable to raise the hackles of any competitive soul. Prepare for the release to prelude a host of tired streamers, eye-lids full of matchsticks, as they simply can't take the psychological punishment of giving in.
There's a touch of Simogo's sublime Sayonara Wild Hearts at work here, both visually and with the integral nature of the music. With the promise of Danime-Sama turning to a host of black vocalists for the soundtrack I am completely here for whatever the full game might bring, and it feels as though this might just strike that same interactive album balance between action and audio.
As the first demo I came across in this year's festival, I can't recommend highly enough that you check out what Aerial_Knight is building here. Intoxicating and inviting, if this demo has been dunked in the essence of style, prepare for the full game to be submerged in it.
Aerial Knight's Never Yield demo is available now as part of the Steam Demo Festival.
[UPDATE] PC players are experiencing performance issues with Nioh 2: Complete Edition
PC players are reporting major performance issues in the Nioh 2: Complete Edition which released at the tail end of last week (February 5th). Users have flooded Steam and Metacritic with negative reviews over the weekend, voicing their frustrations with the performance and poor PC optimisation. Nioh 2:Complete Edition's Metacritic user rating is currently at 4.5 out of 10 and 39% of its Steam reviews are negative. Issues include low FPS performance, crashes, inconsistent key-bindings and controller issues.
PC launches are always a little difficult as there's such an array of setups to optimise for, but the general consensus seems to be that the Complete Edition of Nioh 2 is struggling to run on both new and older hardware alike.
Take for example this review from Steam User 先輩JustJosh先輩
Game is so, so good but I can't recommend right now. Am running an RTX 3080 and R9 5900x and am getting frame drops to 25 fps…
Steam user Sevuz is running on a slightly older RTX 2070, but is also having framerate issues.
This game needs patch. It has some nasty fps drops. we are talking about drops into the 15-20 fps in battles which is not okay. So yeah, don't get this game until they patch it. CPU: i7-9700K GPU: RTX 2070 RAM: 32
The Complete Edition of Nioh 2 boasts 4k Ultra-HD support, Ultra Wide-Screen Compatibility, HDR & 144hz Monitor Support and interestingly, lists a consistent 60/120 frames per second. The Complete Edition also launched on PS5, although there doesn't seem to be the same performance issues we're seeing on the PC version.
Team Ninja, the developers behind Nioh 2, tweeted earlier today about the reported issues, stating it is "currently investigating and plan to continue updating from February to March."
In the Tweet, the team states that improvement to performance will come via Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling technology (DLSS) support, although nothing has been said about performance improvements for those without DLSS enabled graphics cards. We will update this story as soon as any new information is provided.
We recently reviewed the Complete Edition on PC and didn't experience too many performance issues but we did highlight there was some stuttering. Even with a torrent of negative reviews across Steam and Metacritic, users are still praising the game itself, indicating that the quality of the title isn't the issue, but rather the way it has been ported to PC.
UPDATE: We have received the following statement from Team Ninja
Thanks to everyone who purchased Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition.We have heard your comments over the past few days about various issues found inside the game. We are taking all of your messages into account and are actively working on several updates planned to release during February and March to fix these issues. The content of the upcoming updates include:
– Several bug fixes
– Improvement of the performance of the game via the integration of DLSS
– The addition of keyboard & mouse promptsThank you for supporting the Nioh series!
The past two years have seen gaming reach peak roguelike saturation. Last year alone saw Spelunky 2 and Hades both release to rave reviews, with the latter pulling in a whole wealth of new players to the genre thanks to its lenient learning curve and classy presentation. Skul: The Hero Slayer isn't quite equal to Supergiant's mythical grecian romp, but it is an incredibly solid stab at the genre with enough wrinkles to the formula to keep things fresh for old and new players alike.
The game's setup is a simple twist on a familiar narrative: you play as Skul, a small skeleton boy who is battling his way through the shining knights of Carleon to free the Demon King from his incarceration by the First Hero. It's as in-depth as it needs to be, and has the added bonus of swapping the expected enemies for knights and defenders instead of skeletons and monsters – at least at first.
Skul himself is a fragile little fellow, but he can throw his skull at enemies and teleport to where it lands. In order to adventure through the lands of Harmonia successfully, Skul discovers he is able to replace his skull with the skull of something else, whether it's a gargoyle, a werewolf, a ranger, or even a cowboy hat wearing gambler.
Each of these skull swaps is from one of three classes: Balanced, Speed, and Power. Each skull provides you with one or two new abilities to use, each on a cooldown, and as you are able to have two equipped, you can swap between them to trigger special effects. They are in turn powered by Physical and Magic damage stats, which are in turn buffed by various items.
If it sounds complicated… it's because it is. I can imagine players with a penchant for working out optimal damage values will love to delve into the item and skull system. Through play, you can find and purchase items, which do all sorts of things from raising attack speed, damage, minion summoning, and gold earning capabilities. Finally you can also pick up a quintessence, an item that triggers a super attack or timed buff.
This all blends together into a heady mix of managing skill cooldown and item builds, which is layered over lightning fast, lethal combat. It's no surprise that one of the Hero Slayer's available skulls is the Prisoner from Dead Cells, because Motion Twin's hyper-kinetic and incredibly tactile take on the roguelike is Skul's closest touchstone.
Every impact has the same sticky feel that accompanies blows in Dead Cells, and Skul will have you mowing down crowds of enemies in a way that makes every attack feel satisfying. You'll fight the hordes in creative ways: dashing with an icy skull to freeze a group of enemies before swapping to a bomb carrying skull to blow them all up, triggering a bunch of enemy seeking orbs to take out tougher foes. The frenetic pace can feel a bit too much at times, and enemies don't give any quarter. Damage comes thick and fast, and enemies lean towards having a little too much health at times.
As you play through the levels you are able to choose between your next reward, either an item, skull, or gold. Skulls can be broken down into bones, which can then be invested in your other skulls to upgrade them. Upgrades see your lively little pixel art avatar develop each time: over the course of a playthrough a swordsman skulls goes from wearing a drab little hood and rusty sword, to wielding a legendary blade whilst decked out in ornate armour.
Skills develop this way too, with the aforementioned swordsman going from a few paltry swipes, to a skill that triggers tens of phantom slashes to strike all enemies affected by his sword's bleed debuff. The layering of these skills and skull swapping shenanigans can swamp the screen in chaos, with legendary skulls adding even more effects to the mix.
All of the skulls have wonderful skills that come from a pool per skull,and the inventiveness is above and beyond what you'd expect – there are nods to Metal Slug and Ghost Rider here, and skulls like the Samurai, Ninja and Challenger could even support a whole game on their own with their smartly tuned skills. The combos enabled by items and swapping skulls begin to feel decadent in their complexity.
SouthPAW games have managed to get a huge number of sprites and effects working on screen without even a second of slowdown during play. Despite its frenetic nature, everything feels crunchy, responsive and well considered except for the aforementioned enemy health pools, which are the one consistent bugbear.
It really cannot be understated how aesthetically pleasing the game's 16-bit art style is. Levels are ornate, with expert parallax effects and a sense of character that drips from every pixel. The handful of bosses the game throws at you are animated wonderfully and have bags of character, and some of them are truly epic in scale. The music is also incredibly catchy and well produced, with melodies that will bury themselves in your head for hours at a time.
As with many recent roguelikes, the ultimate downside to the game is the investment required to make progress. Skul isn't easy and the price for permanent upgrades – bought with dark quartz at the start of a run – are a bit too steep. As you progress further through the game, you'll unlock new helpers at the start that can boost a new run with a couple of free skulls or items. Pathing also becomes a little predictable when it becomes obvious that chasing skulls to crush them for run-lasting upgrades is the best option, especially with the tiers of upgrades being quite pricey.
For those put off by how punishing it is, a rookie mode can be toggled on to halve damage, but doesn't stop the game from being a stiff challenge towards the end. There are some with difficulty spikes with the multi-phase boss fights that have a plethora of over the top, screen filling attacks that require perfect timing to dodge, which can feel a bit much when health refills are infrequent.
Monster Hunter Rise demo stats reveal most popular weapons
If you're looking to get some early hands-on time with Monster Hunter Rise then you're sadly out of luck. Capcom released a time limited Monster Hunter Rise demo for free on the Nintendo Switch eShop in January but it's no longer available to download and play, making that wait until its release date on March 26th even more excruciating. In the meantime, the game's publisher has shared some demo stats, highlighting the three most popular weapons players used when going up against the Great Izuchi and Mizutsune. The top result shouldn't come as a surprise to long-time Monster Hunter fans though a surprise choice managed to sneak its way into third place.
Of course, the Longsword came out as the number one choice of weapon for those sampling the Monster Hunter Rise demo. According to Capcom, a whopping 19.1% of demo players opted for the Longsword. First introduced in Monster Hunter 2, this katana-like blade has been a favourite among players thanks to its high offensive capabilities and control, allowing experienced hunters to run circles around their prey, parrying and slicing tails off like nobody's business.
ディレクターの一瀬です。
体験版ミツネクエでの武器の使用回数上位３つをご紹介。３位：狩猟笛 全体の9.6％
→想定以上の反響！２位：大剣 全体の9.7％
→モンハンといえばこの武器。１位：太刀 全体の19.1％
→不動の１位。カッコよき。 pic.twitter.com/7jfitN9AwA— モンスターハンターライズ公式 (@MH_Rise_JP) February 3, 2021
In second place we see one of the series' OG weapon choices: the Greatsword. Capable of massive damage, this blade is much more cumbersome than the Longsword though comes tagged with defensive capabilities thanks to a block function.
And in third we have the… Hunting Horn? With a usage rate of 9.6% in the Monster Hunter Rise demo, we're surprised to see that number of players taking on what is considered the most obtuse weapon of the bunch. The Hunting Horn is great for stuns and blunt damage but is mainly used for its support abilities, allowing hunters to store musical notes with each hit, then perform a sequence to trigger bonuses from them and their teammates.
So far, we've thoroughly enjoyed what we've played of Monster Hunter Rise and can't wait for it to touch down on Nintendo Switch in March. Here's a excerpt from our recent preview: "Monster Hunter Rise is shaping up incredibly well. The visuals feel like a halfway point between World's "realism" and the original game's more characterful look, and everything we've seen so far in terms of weapons and armour sets has certainly piqued our interest. Of course, the proof will be in the hunting, and thankfully we don't have too long to wait. Things really are looking up.".
Source: Twitter (@MH_Rise_JP)
Shadow of War Nemesis system controversially patented by Warner Bros
Well, this wasn't the Middle-Earth: Shadow of War news we'd been hoping to hear. As Lord of the Rings fans await the announcement of a sequel, it has been revealed that game publisher Warner Bros. Interactive have been successful in securing a patent for the "Nemesis" gameplay system first introduced in 2014's sublime Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Widely considered the game's one true highlight, the Nemesis system created a web of intelligent Orc NPCs who would interact with each other as well as protagonist, Talion, in way that felt emergent and organic. For example, an Orc officer you defeat in the early stages of the game could reappear later, specifically commenting on your last encounter with them.
The patent will go into effect from Feburary 23rd, 2021. IGN reports that a notice was released by the US Patent and Trademark Office to confirm Warner's successful application. The patent covers "Nemesis characters, nemesis forts, social vendettas and followers in computer games," preventing this system from being replicating by other game developers without the possible threat of legal action.
Naturally, this move by the publisher has sparked controversy among the video game development community, Warner Bros. Interactive having pursued this patent since 2015. Mike Bithell, the creator of hits such as Thomas Was Alone, Volume, John Wick Hex, and The Solitaire Conspiracy, called the move "gross", pointing out that Shadow of Mordor itself borrowed a multitude of systems and mechanics from other games.
This is really gross, especially for a franchise that built its brilliant nemesis system on top of a whole heap of mechanics replicated from other games. As all games do. Because that's how culture and creativity works. Be a better neighbor, WB. https://t.co/4AvMe7GQWk
— Mike Bithell, TWA demo out now on Switch! (@mikeBithell) February 6, 2021
Since Shadow of Mordor made its big debut, we've been aching for other games to include their own spin on the Nemesis system. However, that looks far less likely now – patents such as these in the video games industry only protect the interests of publishers and not hard-working developers, ultimately harming innovation.
Source: IGN
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is getting "a new place and way to play" this month
343 Industries have teased that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is set to come to a new platform sometime in the near future, leading to plenty of speculation as to what on Earth that could mean. Currently available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam, and Android via Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud, it doesn't feel like there's many places it could go. Still, that hasn't stopped plenty of speculation that The Master Chief Collection could now be heading to the Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch or (perhaps most likely) to iPhone and iPad via Cloud Gaming.
The teaser comes as 343i discuss the future of the game on Halo Waypoint. Test 'flights' will be taking place later in February bringing features like an FOV slider to Xbox One, more controller customisation, mouse & keyboard support on console, and "maybe a new place and way to play."
In our opinion, that teaser most likely means that Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be coming to iOS with Xbox Cloud Gaming (AKA Project xCloud) this spring. Microsoft have notably struggled to get their game streaming service onto iOS, and while they tested Project xCloud on iOS last year, Apple blocked the possibility of game streaming apps on their platform without onerous certification for all games.
So how is Microsoft going to do it? Well, they're going to be following in the footsteps of Amazon Luna and creating a browser-based web app. This will enable them to workaround the need for certification, and (with iOS' built in support for game controllers) should let users get practically the same experience.
What about the "[new] way to play"? Well, I suspect it might be new to Halo, but it's not new to game streaming. As part of their cloud gaming initiative, Microsoft have also been gradually adding support for touch controls on a game-by-game basis – February's Xbox Game Pass update adds support for 12 more games with touch controls. While touch controls certainly won't be the best way to play Halo, Gears 5 already supports there's plenty of games on mobile (such as Fortnite and PUBG) that do have touch controls.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a huge collection of almost every single first person shooter in the Halo series. Launching back in 2014 for Xbox One, it features Halo 2: Anniversary alongside upgraded ports of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4. That later expanded to include Halo 3: ODST in 2015, and in 2019, Halo Reach.
343i have largely turned their focus to finishing the heavily delayed Halo Infinite, which is set to launch in Fall 2021 having been dropped from launching alongside the Xbox Series X|S after a gameplay reveal that failed to excited the masses. Bringing the game to iOS is the most logical step for Microsoft to take with the game (much as we'd love to see it on Switch), as it ties in with their overall plans for their gaming platform and would not be the largest undertaking for the team.
Source: Halo Waypoint
HyperX Pulsefire Haste Mouse Review
I can't say I'd ever really considered the weight of my mouse. It's not a thing that had crossed my mind, nor did I ever expect it to do so. It's one of those factors that doesn't feel anywhere near as important as the speed of the mouse sensor or (for the discerning RGB enthusiast) the number of colours it can give off. However, having now spent a fair bit of time with the ultra-light HyperX Pulsefire Haste, I'm a convert. I'm now a firm believer in gaming mice that shed every single gram they possibly can. I'll never use a clunky mouse again.
The HyperX Pulsefire Haste weighs in at just 59 grams, which is roughly as much as four bourbon biscuits, which have been chosen as the comparison here because they are far superior to custard creams, because who even cares about that low-tier flavourless rubbish anyway?
It manages this rather astoundingly low weight thanks to a hex shell, which is to say that it's full of hexagonal holes everywhere possible. The top is covered in holes, parts of the main buttons have holes in, even the underside has holes, to the extent you can see right through the mouse at the right angle. It's odd, and frankly, it's a little concerning at first because the fear of stuff getting stuck inside of it is very real. Despite that fear, mine has yet to succumb to the inside of my hand, and my daughter hasn't tried to put a breadstick inside of it yet either, which is nice.
One of the positive side effects of this design is that it also helps keep your hand cool. That's good news for anybody who has warm sweaty hands, but bad news for those who wield icicles instead of fingers.
Alongside the weight, which is definitely the biggest (smallest?) factor here, you've also got a generally good mouse as well.
All of the saved weight would be useful if it didn't work well, but in my time gaming with it, I'm pretty sure I've gotten substantially better at clicking on people's heads under pressure.
As you'd expect from pretty much any mouse, has low-friction PTFE (teflon) skates. They're labelled as "virgin-grade" on the website, which I think is a really weird way to phrase things, but they help the mouse glide along in concern with the air-like composition, and you'll often feel as though there's no mouse there at all.
That might not sound like a huge deal, but for anybody that suffers from RSI thanks to an improperly kitted out home office, for example, this is a big thing.
It also has a trio of customisable buttons, in addition to left, right and clickable scroll wheel. You can set these up to do a lot of things, but I fairly regularly forget they exist because I'm useless. People far more used to using a mouse than myself, and those who want to use the two thumb buttons to reload, open up the inventory, or whatever else they can think of will no doubt find these to be incredibly useful.
The only real downside of the most comes in the form of the RGB lighting. You've still got some built into it but the effect is minimal due to the fact that your mouse has holes all over it and needs to be light, but not lit. It's reserved for the mouse wheel to light up, and you can still customise that a little, which is nice.
GamesMaster reboot will be released this year as show confirmed to be coming to E4
Channel 4 has announced that it is going to reboot the classic video game show GamesMaster, with three episodes currently confirmed. The show originally aired from 1992 to 1998 with the focus of players competing against each other in challenges, though the show did do some reviews of games too. This reboot will have five celebrities go against each other in a number of challenges, with the winner of the series walking away with the Golden Joystick. In the description for GamesMaster, Channel 4 writes:
This year, five bold celebrities will embark on a gaming odyssey but only one can go on to become the GamesMaster champion and take home the Golden Joystick. They'll undergo challenges, races and fights in virtual battle across all genres of gaming under the watchful eye of the all-knowing GamesMaster. Each week at least one celeb will be eliminated…Over the three epsisodes, five will become one and the winner will be crowned. They'll play each other at everything from iconic classics to brand new releases. We'll also be serving tonnes of extra gaming-themed content to our audiences to keep them coming back for more.
The GamesMaster show also had the magazine of the same name come from it, and the magazine outlasted the show by 20 years. It was in 2018 when the final issue of GamesMaster magazine was published, alongside GamesTM. At the time of the closure of the magazines Future Publishing released a statement saying:
"Despite the company's strong performance overall, unfortunately Games
and GamesMaster are no longer profitable parts of the business, which means that their next issues, on sale November 1st, will be the final editions. The decision was an extremely difficult one, but everyone here is enormously proud of what the magazines have achieved in their lifetimes – an incredible 25 years in GamesMaster's case – and we are currently redeploying affected staff within the company."
An exact date for the return of GamesMaster has not been confirmed but it is expected to begin again this year.
Source: Channel 4
Astro's Playroom update 1.500.000 rolls out, patch notes released
Sony loves its stability fixes and updates. Over the years a lot of the fixes the company pushes out contains the word stability, and not much more. The latest piece of software to be graced by such a fix is the PS5 exclusive Astro's Playroom. Every PS5 owner gets a copy of Astro's Playroom for free as a pre-installed title, with the game giving players a chance to test out all the fancy features of the DualSense controller. With update 1.500.000 there is not a massive amount of patch notes to go through. Instead, aside from stability fixes there are some performance improvements and loading issues have been addressed. The full set of notes are below.
Astro's Playroom update 1.500.000 patch notes
- Added stability fixes
- Performance improvements.
- Addressed game loading issues.
- Other minor bug fixes.
In our review for Astro's Playroom, Stefan wrote:
Vigor is a multiplayer looter-shooter from Bohemia Interactive. You may know Bohemia from the ultra-realistic ARMA series or, perhaps more relevantly, DayZ. Vigor is a bit like DayZ, except it doesn't feature zombies, walkers, or any other flavour of the undead. Instead, it's you versus other humans as you scavenge for resources in a post-apocalyptic Norway.
Rather than taking place on a giant map packed with a hundred or so players, Vigor has smaller maps with 8-16 players fighting amongst themselves for a share of a more limited loot pool. It's a less interesting loot pool, as where other, comparable games might have you picking up tricked out guns with all kinds of randomised attachments, you turn up to the area with your own weaponry and ammunition rather than scavenge for it when you arrive. When you do find a gun you'll likely need to swap it with one of the ones you brought with you, leaving it behind forever. The focus here is more on things like wood, glass, and nails so you can upgrade your base, then escaping before a radiation cloud blankets the area.
The base building aspect is easily the worst part of the game. After a brief tutorial at the very start of the game, you're taken to your base so you can have a look around. It's a dilapidated house on a mountain, curiously still decorated with Christmas lights at the end of January, and it seems to be there entirely to stretch as little content as possible over as much time as it can.
There's a host of upgrades to choose from, but they're only available once your shelter has reached the required level. You'll start out with a crafting table so you can craft guns and ammo, at which point your shelter will level up and allow you build the "wood log" upgrade, which passively generates 24 wood every hour. Then you can build the water distillation upgrade, which speeds up crafting time.
Lavc57.64.101
Yes, it takes time to craft and build things as well. On top of that wrinkle, all of the upgrades are absolute nonsense – I can't remember what I made the "wood log" upgrade out of originally, but the first upgrade allows me to raise how much wood it generates per hour to 30 for the cost of 348 nails. How, exactly? The third level of the crafting table requires 258 metal parts and nothing else. None of it makes any sense. On the subject of upgrading the features in your base, most of them have 13 levels to work your way through, each one giving a similarly marginal increase, taking time to be built, and demanding large amounts of nonsensical and dull loot.
Let's look at the rat trap – just humour me for a minute. The rat trap generates two food per hour by capturing delicious rats. It's built entirely out of wires somehow, despite the photo next to the upgrade having a tin in it, and it takes 10 minutes to build it once you reach shelter level four. There are 13 levels to upgrade it through and until it hits level 10 each level increases how much food you gain by either 0.3 or 0.4 food per hour. The last three levels increase it by one up to a maximum of eight food per hour. Then, there are three more identical rat traps unlocked at levels eight, 10, and 12. This is not fun. It's a treadmill set to the slowest setting to ensure you're using it for as long as possible. There are nineteen base upgrades not including the rat traps and they're all the same but for slightly different benefits.
It could be possible to enjoy playing in spite of this, but unfortunately, the rest of the game is a bit hit and miss to say the least. The maps, whilst much smaller than a Battle Royale, are still big enough that the relatively meagre amount of players in each game often results in encountering nobody for multiple games in a row, even when going for things like safes and the airdrop that shows up on the map. Then there's what happens when you do meet someone. Whether you're sniped before you even see anyone by someone who brought a gun that's just flat out better than anything you had available, or you bump into someone who doesn't actually have a gun with them, both situations are annoying for very different reasons.
On top of all this, while the game looks serviceable most of the time, it dips into ugliness with the overuse of bland textures, and even the snow-covered nordic mountains in the background manage to look blurry and washed out, further ruining any potential for an engrossing atmosphere.
In Nightmare is a horror platformer coming to PS4 later this year
Maximum Games and developer Magic Fish Studios have revealed a new horror game for PS4, and it is called In Nightmare. It does not have anything to with Little Nightmares. In Nightmare appears to be a top down horror platformer with players having to sneak around environments, and also solve puzzles while avoiding the various monsters that are hunting for them. You can watch the reveal trailer below which gives a view of some gameplay as well as enemy designs.
In Nightmare's story premise is as follows:
Experiencing effects of a broken family, and the heartache it brings, a young child will escape reality into a dark, whimsical world created from his own memories. This sets him on his journey to uncover what truly lies within. Having suffered in reality, his past trauma turns into terrifying monsters that want to keep him in an eternal nightmare. With the help of his dream spirit, the boy will find ways to sneak past enemies, overcome intricate puzzles, embrace his fear, and uncover the truth so that he may be able to purify the monsters he has created, and finally wake up.
A release date is yet to be confirmed for In Nightmare, but it is expected to be released this year.
Source: Press Release
Derren Brown explains nightmares in this Little Nightmares II trailer
Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for Little Nightmares II and enlisted the help of illusionist Derren Brown to give a crash course on nightmares. He talks of dream theories by Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud, but also gives a different take on nightmares. Instead of being dark dreams nightmares are a malevolent force that have been preying on humans for time immemorial. It is probably not a good idea to watch this trailer before you go to bed as it gets suitably creepy.
A demo for Little Nightmares II is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. The demo will let you play through the Wilderness level and encounter its bloodthirsty Resident, the Hunter, giving you a taste of what's ahead in the full game this time next month. It is a nice little primer before Little Nightmares II is released.
Stefan had some hands on time with a preview build of Little Nightmares II a few months ago, writing:
Little Nightmares II looks set to pick up right where the original game and its DLC left off, filled with a thick atmosphere and creepy new situations to find yourself in. Would that it could come out this month in time for Halloween, we'll have to wait a few months longer until 11th February 2021 to continue the horrible little adventure.
The original Little Nightmares released back in 2017. Tuffcub reviewed the game and he said:
Little Nightmares is something of a minor classic. Gorgeously gross and surprisingly inventive, it creates a genuine feeling of terror and tension. It's a bit odd to say a game that involves skipping over corpses is enjoyable, but it is, just don't blame Tarsier if you have nightmares.
You can read the full Little Nightmares review here.
Little Nightmares II will be available from February 11th on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Switch. A PS5 and Xbox Series X|S version will be released at a later date.
Source: YouTube
I must confess that, when I came to review Windfolk, I misread the title. "Windy Folk?" I pondered, "That certainly sounds like an alternative concept for a video game". I initially conceived that this Windy Folk must be an interactive experience that offers some insightful hints and tips on how to avoid an intense bout of flatus. Then I reread that the title and deduced that it's actually called Windfolk and is a third-person shooter all about strapping on a jetpack and battling in the sky. Now though, having played this lacklustre game, I can see that my first assumption was correct. Windfolk should be called Windyfolk – as it absolutely stinks.
There's one thing that Windfolk almost gets right – flight. Protagonist Esen blasts around the handful of maps with smooth grace. Controls are clear and intuitive and the sense of speed palpable; Esen rockets into the horizon with satisfying velocity upon the squeeze of a trigger. The problem is that flight is pointless. The levels may be pretty but are devoid of fun; there's no reason to explore them and the game's design and structure discourages play.
Levels are closed off by 'strong winds' and the possibilities of a flying sandbox instead becomes nothing more than a long corridor. One in which you'll spend most of your time blasting from one end to the other. Usually towards a waypoint and maybe, occasionally, diverting to go and pick up an obviously hidden journal entry. Other than that the maps are vacant and empty – the limitless joys of flight curtailed as a means of getting from A to B.
And just what do you do when you reach B? Predominantly you engage in an air battle. At this point hordes of enemies appear until Esen blasts them all from the sky. You might think that this could well be brilliant – after all, surely epic dog fights in which each jet packed sky warrior darts around the environment is a recipe for sheer awesomeness?
You'd think that, only developer Gammera Nest took the odd decision of immediately curtailing the player's 'Rocketeer' fantasies by placing all combat in a giant energy bubble – one so small that it renders the whole flying thing pointless. Rather than taking part in energetic dog fights, the player simply strafes slowly whilst the overly generous auto-aim renders combat an uninspiring breeze.
Matters aren't helped any by the limited range of weapons, each lacking any sense of punch or impact. Firing off a massive heat-seeking rocket launcher should be cathartic – instead it's catatonic. There's so little audio and visual response that weapon use is a flat experience offering little excitement. Special abilities fare no better. Most weapons have a second function that can be activated after firing off a series of shots but they don't liven up the combat, they just add another ball of energy that can't miss its target. Meanwhile, enemy AI is a bore, the evil minions of The Coalition hovering around like dozy flies in the summer, seemingly waiting for you to swat them from the sky.
If all that sounds rather dreary, then it's only exacerbated by the developer's odd predilection to immediately destroy any and all momentum or pace the player happens to be building up. Tedious and long conversations between Esen and her mentor, Batrax, cannot be skipped. The two drone on whilst the player literally does nothing – there's no waypoint to fly to or enemy to blast. It's not even as if Esen and Batrax are saying anything of interest – just further bland exposition and another example of Batrax's bizarre fetish, one in which he insists on punishing Esen with a month of toilet cleaning every chance he gets. Oh, and the least threatening villain of all time, Russell (or is it Rusell? The game doesn't know), will pop up for a chin wag from time to time.
If all that wasn't enough to put anyone and everyone off Windfolk, how about these examples? One level demands that you repeatedly 'grab the cargo' from a transporter. Only, you can't grab the cargo, instead, you've just got to follow the transporter around for a bit until you can damage it. My molars took quite the frustrated grinding whilst Esen repeatedly bounced off the cargo, the game failing to explain why I was going wrong.
Then there's a random puzzle that blocks all progress and is so obscure that even after I solved it – I just had to try all the combinations until eventually finding the right one – I still have no idea what it was all about. How about the mission that sends you around a maze of identical cave tunnels to find a switch, only to then send you back through the maze – only this time with a countdown timer. Again and again, I tried to give Windfolk the benefit of the doubt, again and again it poked me in the eye for my naïve optimism.
If there's one positive aspect to my time with Windfolk it's that it was a short one. With only seven levels, and the same amount of arcade trials, the game can be easily completed in a matter of hours. But when the most positive aspect of a game is that it's all over quickly, what type of positive is that?
Valheim update 0.142.5 fixes logo screen freeze issue, enables continuous music
Developer Iron Gate has released a new update for Valheim, this being update 0.142.5, and it addresses some issues players have encountered with the early access title. These fixes include Valheim no longer freezing at the main logo screen, stamina not being used when dodging a lot, adding drowning effects, adding more cores in chambers, and making the music play continuously by default. The full list of fixes and changes for Valheim is below.
- Fixed freeze at Valheim logo screen
- Fixed Block-sfx
- Fixed Spamming dodge consumed extra stamina
- Server list tweaks (multi-line names, server count)
- Continuous music enabled by default
- Drowning effects added
- Compendium icon updated
- Made Hugin dialog slightly larger
- More surtling cores in burial chambers
- Serverlist fixes
- Lowered enemy per-player damage scaling
- Localization fixes
- Server filter fix
In our preview for Valheim, Thomas wrote:
Valheim, while a bit rough around the edges, has a number of genuinely nice touches to its gameplay. When cooking food, you have to actually stand by it as it cooks and take it off when it's ready – leave it on for too long and you'll be left with a piece of coal – but stand by a fire in a cramped space and you'll start to die due to smoke inhalation. For a game that's just entered Early Access, Valheim already feels like a mostly complete game.
The future feels bright for Valheim. With a solid arrangement of survival systems already in place, an engaging array of boss battles and plenty of extra touches, I can't wait to see how the community shapes and guides this survival sim's future development. This is definitely one to watch out for.
You can read the full Valheim preview here.
Source: Steam
What a load of pussy! Two new cat based games are on the way
Feline fans are in for a treat with not one, not two, but three games starring cats on the way. Unfortunately one of them is embargoed till the 9th so I can't tell you about it but we can take a look at Puss! and Space Cats Tactics.
First up, Space Cats Tactics which has a free prologue which you can download now from Steam. The game has two main gameplay elements, managing the ship's crew and grid-based combat, "Think about it as if FTL: Faster Than Light and XCOM had a child. Except this 'child' is a fluffy, furry, meowy, and incredibly inquisitive kitten," say the developers, Mitzi games.
The game is set in the year 2635 when humans have started genetic trials on felines to turn them in to super soldiers to fight in wars. As you might expect the cats were not happy about this and rebelled, a revolution took place and catkind and humankind are now at peace. You play as Mitzi the cat who must smuggle the Curiosity, an advanced ship, to the far outer reaches of the galaxy.
You can wishlist Space Cats Tactics on Steam.
The second game, Puss!, is.. er.. well, just watch the video.
Yes, that was Jesus and a cat riding a unicorn in the same trailer, your drink has not been spiked. Puss! is described as an "insane, absurd and intense avoid-'em up game about a cat!" and it's coming to Xbox One, PS4, and Switch on February 19th.
Here are some key features.
- Bossfights! The real Bullet Hell!
- Free your future partners and they'll help you fight evil!
- Compare the results of your run with the results of other players on the leaderboard
- The levels are tougher than they look at first sight. They also appear in a random sequence!
- Various skins for your cat
As mentioned there's another cat game coming out soon which is currently embargoed, and PS5 owners have Stray to look forward to as well so the future is looking remarkably furry.
Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. Set to launch in 2021, players will play as a stray cat, roaming surroundings high and low, defend against unforeseen threats and solve the mysteries of this unwelcoming place inhabited by nothing but unassuming droids and dangerous creatures. Lost, alone and separated from family, players must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten cybercity and find the way home.
Stray will be released as a console exclusive on PS5 in 2021.
Source: Press releases
Maskmaker announced for VR formats
InnerspaceVR, the team behind the award winning A Fisherman's Tale have a new game on the horizon, it's called Maskmaker and it will arrive on 20th April for PSVR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
The game has you taking the role of a Maskmaker's apprentice in a mysterious universe where you can learn "the magic of crafting masks" which allows you to take over the bodies of other beings within the realm. You will meet Prospero, the powerful "leader" of the mask realm and then craft masks, leading to new areas where you can solve puzzles, develop new skills, and scavenge for new resources to help you build even more masks.
"Our team set out to create a non-linear adventure that gives players a strong sense of presence as they explore the mysterious universe of Maskmaker," said Balthazar Auxietre, creative director and co-founder, InnerspaceVR. "We carefully designed the game to help players feel like a real craftsman when creating these intricate masks, and experience the freedom and discovery as they traverse through unique worlds to uncover the secrets of the mask realm."
We gave A Fisherman's Tale an excellent 8/10 in our review back in January last year. This is what Jason had to say, will Maskmaker be just as good?
A Fisherman's Tale succeeds in being one of the most interesting games on VR. It is charming, magical, and awe-inspiring. It manages to do all of this with you playing as a puppet, and feeling a huge amount of warmth towards that little puppet. It is just a shame that the playtime is so short, even just an extra couple of hours would have made this impossible to miss. As it stands, it is a wonderful game that deserves playing, but the play time is such a drawback to an otherwise impeccable game.
Source: Press release
Destruction AllStars Guide – 11 essential tips & tricks
Having crashed its way onto PS5 earlier this week, there's a good chance many of you have snapped up Destruction AllStars for free via your PlayStation Plus subscriptions.
One part Destruction Derby, one part Overwatch, it's a bizarre combination of genres that has you switching between two feet and four wheels as larger-than-life characters compete for glory.
Destruction AllStars isn't quite on par with Sony's other PS5 exclusives, scoring a 6 out of 10 in our review at launch. While fun in short frenzied blasts, like most car combat games it can get repetitive and is let down by an overall lack of engaging content.
Anyhow, for those seeking Wreckognition, we've whipped up a handy guide full of tips and pointers to help you come out on top.
Destruction AllStars Guide – 11 essential tips & tricks
1. After the initial tutorial you are free to dive into some multiplayer but we'd strongly recommend hitting up the practice menu. Here you will find handy tutorials for each of the four primary game modes, against AI bots. This is an ideal way to acquaint yourself with the sixteen playable heroes too, learning their Breaker skills and Hero Vehicle powers.
2. Bumping into a teammate's vehicle won't cause any damage but can slow or even stop the pair of you, leaving you both exposed to an incoming slam.
3. Excluding the unique Hero Vehicles, there are three car classes in Destruction AllStars. Immediately identifiable, you have a light, medium, and heavy option, each with varying stats in terms of speed, control, and durability, though they all handle similarly.
4. Play as each hero at least once. There's a vibrant, diverse cast in Destruction AllStars and they own have their own unique on-foot Breaker ability as well as a signature Hero Vehicle. You'll naturally gravitate towards a handful of them, matching their special powers with your own playstyle, whether it's Shyft's invisibility or Harmony's devastating bass blasts.
5. Activating your Hero Vehicle should be your main objective in any game mode. In order to do this you'll need to score point but, more importantly, make sure you're dabbling in some out-of-car parkour to power up your Breaker and Hero Vehicle gauge.
6. Breakers are temporary on-foot abilities such as Ultimo's running charge or Lupita's flame trail. Don't be stingy and cling on to your Breaker as it can also be used to make your AllStar more mobile with faster movement and a double jump, ideal for snapping up hero energy.
7. In Mayhem your goal is to score points, earned every time you barge, hit, wreck, KO, evade, of Takeover. The tip here is make sure you're in the middle of the action at all times, occasionally breaking away to find a fresh vehicle.
8. In Gridfall, survival is key. Sections of the arena will start to fall away so keep note of what areas are marked red. You start out with one respawn though the game encourages you to earn more by actively hitting and wrecking your rivals instead of hiding away. Doing so will only leave you with fewer lives when down to the last two or three players. Remember to use your hero's barge attack when outside of your vehicle. This is easiest way of knocking another Star off the map and into the pit below.
9. In Carnado every action will earn you Gears that need to be cashed in to win points for your team. In order to do this you'll need to safely carry them to the Carnado to make a successful conversion. Getting wrecked or being taken over by an opponent will forfeit any Gears collected. To earn Gears, try patrolling the outer circle for attack opportunities. Some Hero Vehicle abilities are great for holding down the Carnado, wrecking opponents trying to cash in their Gears and denying them a huge point payout.
10. In Stockpile two teams of eight players go head to head. Like Carnado your objective is to collect and bank Gears though here it works a little differently. You'll only earn Gears for the successful KO or wreck of an opponent. On top of that, you can only grab the Gears left behind by leaving your vehicle and retrieving them when on foot. You'll then need to make your way to one of the three bank podiums, standing on top to deposit your Gears. Conquering all three can be a chore unless you're a well co-ordinated team so just make sure you're dominating two before the timer runs out.
11. If you're looking to go for the Destruction AllStars platinum trophy then prepare for some grinding. There's a mix of easily attainable progress-related trophies, then sixteen trophies linked to each Hero Vehicle ability. Most of these require you to wreck multiple opponents in a short amount of time, deal/absorb a set amount of damage etc. so jumping into Mayhem seems like a good spot to earn these. In each Mayhem match there should be a handful of opportunities to have your Hero Vehicle plough into a busy crowd of rivals.
That's all for now. Hopefully, we'll continue to see more game modes, events, and characters added to Destruction AllStars in the near future. Developer Lucid Games have promised that this is only just the start.
17 great multiplayer games to play with your family
Picking out the perfect family game for your home clan is a mighty challenging endeavour. There's just so many factors to consider. Is the game suitable for all ages? Will it be accessible to those who have never picked up a controller before? And, perhaps most importantly, is the game so crazily competitive that it will drive a wedge of seething resentment and bitterness so deep into the family unit that it will never be removed?
Well, worry no more, we have a guide to family games that is the perfect calming balm to soothe your stress filled game choosing woes. In our list you will find the top family games to buy right now. Plus, we'll even regale you with details on whether there's local or online play, whether you'll have to upgrade to a bigger telly just so you can see what's going on in split screen and whether or not any family members will have to be excluded due to a limited player count.
51 Worldwide Games
- PEGI Rating: 12
- Platforms: NSW
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
A late contender for this list and a game that appears fairly conspicuous next to some of Nintendo's mascot-lead Switch exclusives. As the name suggests, 51 Worldwide Games packs in plenty of activities, from classics such as chess and draughts, to more exotic inclusions like Shogi, and more interactive favourites such as bowling and darts. Although designed primarily for two players, most games can enable up to 4 by connecting two Switch systems. Thankfully, you don't need two copies of the game either with a free guest edition demo allowing you to piggyback.
Cake Bash
- PEGI Rating: 7
- Platforms: PS4, XBO, NSW, PC
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
Whoever came up with the idea of a party game pitting battling cakes in a showdown to become the tastiest treat of them all is a genius. Cake Bash is wonderful fun from beginning to end. It's also one of the more accessible game on this list, with simple controls that can be easily grasped by novice players. Even better, there's a wide range of challenges to put a smile on every face: from swatting pesky picnic ruining wasps, to toasting the perfect marshmallow and smashing fortune cookies to smithereens. We challenge even the grumpiest of teenagers not to love Cake Bash.
Rocket League
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: PS4, XBO, NSW, PC
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
It's footie but instead of overpaid divas, you play as supersonic acrobatic rocket-powered battle cars. Rocket League is the sequel to one of the greatest multiplayer games of all time, albeit with a more marketable name, fuelled by a colossal fan base. Despite the sheer simplicity of gameplay (hit ball into goal) Rocket League provides endless hours of free without needing to pay a penny. It's accessible enough though it's easy to tell newbies and experienced players apart thanks to the nifty airborne/boosting tricks you can pull off.
Just Dance 2021
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: NSW, PS4, PS5, XBO, XBSX
- Local play: up to 4 players
An evergreen family favourite, the Just Dance series is perfect for getting everyone up off the sofa as you attempt to copy on-screen choreography. There's a huge selection of songs to flail around to, from all-time classics to modern hits and a healthy serving of cheesy tracks that will have your body moving. As long as you can get your hands on one of the more recent entries in the Just Dance series you'll have all the modern features at your fingertips including the option to use smartphones as controllers, and Just Dance Unlimited – a subscription unlocking more than 500 songs.
Super Mario Party
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: NSW
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
This eleventh main instalment in the long-running Mario Party series is a great way of getting the family together. At its core, Super Mario Party follows a familiar board game template as you roll dice and move from space to space, triggering various bonuses and events. The main head-to-head component here is the wide spread of mini-games. Sure, there's a knack to each one though they're never overly complex, giving all players a fighting chance.
Overcooked! 2
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: PS4, XBO, NSW, PC
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
If you'd prefer your family game to be collaborative rather than competitive, then Overcooked! 2 is the connoisseur's choice. A puzzle game that tasks up to four players with the challenge of preparing a multitude of meals, Overcooked! 2 starts off easy but becomes a very challenging proposition by the end game. Brilliantly though, the game upskills the player as they play, making it entirely plausible that a novice team could become culinary master chefs before long. Controls are simple, and, even better, two players can use one controller: meaning you can have four player fun without having to spend a fortune on new controllers.
Knowledge Is Power
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: PS4
- Local play: up to 6 players
It wasn't long ago that Sony took a punt on PlayLink – their attempt at creating more socially-focused games, using smartphones as the main control input. It's largely been forgotten though Knowledge Is Power is one game we like to keep installed: a trivia game in the same vein as Buzz! but without the same punch.
LittleBigPlanet 3
- PEGI Rating: 7
- Platforms: PS4, PS3
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
While its creation tools now seem fairly limited compared to Media Molecule's Dreams, LittleBigPlanet 3 is still great for those wanting some co-op fun. It's a little more advanced than its predecessors and their simpler platforming gameplay but that shouldn't stop less experienced gamers getting involved. If LBP3 clicks then there's a near endless number of user-created levels to explore.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- PEGI Rating: 7
- Platforms: PS5
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
Perhaps overshadowed by Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls, this PS5 launch title is certainly worth checking out if you want to wring some family friendly co-op fun from Sony's newest console. Sackboy: A Big Adventure can feel pretty empty when riding solo whereas playing with up to three others makes the game far more alive and involved with some creative co-op puzzle solving at work.
Rayman Legends
- PEGI Rating: 7
- Platforms: PS3, 360, Wii U, PS4, XBO, NSW, PC
- Local play: up to 4 players
If platforming is your thing, then Rayman Legends is a standout choice. Up to four players can leap, swing, and punch their way through some wildly creative levels. The animation is silky smooth and the musical stages are a joy to behold. Word of warning; Rayman Legends gets pretty tricky pretty quickly, so best ensure you have an experienced gamer along for the ride to help everyone out. How can they help? If a player 'dies' then they inflate and lurch around the level like a balloon bouncing on a bubble bath, ready to be freed by the pro when the tricky bit has been bested.
Moving Out
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: PS4, XBO, NSW, PC
- Local play: up to 4 players
Moving Out tasks up to four players with a wonderfully straightforward objective: work as a team to get all the furniture out of the building and into the back of a removal van. What brings the game to life are the hilarious physics. Players must work together to knock doors off their hinges, lob sofas through windows and drag uncooperative pigs through fields. It's a delightfully silly experience and, thanks to a comprehensive range of game settings, eminently accessible for all ages and skill levels.
Tools Up!
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: PS4, XBO, NSW, PC
- Local play: up to 4 players
If DIY is more your thing than furniture removal, then Tools Up! is the game for you and your family. Up to four players must redecorate a flat, office or haunted castle before the time limit expires. Tools Up! is a far more chilled out experience than either Moving Out or Overcooked! 2, it's actually quite relaxing beautifying a home. That is until you discover that you've put the wrong type of carpet down or painted the walls the wrong colour. If that happens just head outside to release the expletives – don't what the kids repeating the swears to their teachers, do we?
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: PS4, XBO, NSW, PC
- Local play: up to 4 players
Let's face it, there are good dozen or so Lego games that could have filled out this list but Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is one of the best, newest entries in this long-running series. A surprisingly gripping story, reliable if well worn gameplay mechanics and the inclusion of the most popular kid's movie franchise – sorry Star Wars – makes this follow up an easy choice. For those who haven't played a Lego game before then you'll find an extremely accessible experience brought to life with buckets of Lego charm. Only downside? Its campaign only supports two players even if there are modes that enable up to four.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: NSW
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
An absolute essential for Nintendo Switch owners and, judging by the continued strength of its sales, a game most of them already own. Mario Kart 8 is kart racing perfection, the Deluxe edition stuffed with loads of goodies including extra tracks and more characters you can shake a Blue Shell at. Bonus points to Nintendo for adding accessibility features to help level the playing field between Mario Kart vets and younger/casual racers.
Horizon Chase Turbo
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: PS4, XBO, NSW, PC
- Local co-op: up to 4 players
If you want to do some family racing but need the gameplay to be as accessible as possible, then Horizon Chase Turbo is a great option. This racer is as old school as they come, summoning memories from the arcade cabinets of yesteryear as player's speed around twisty turny tracks in pursuit of victory. Gameplay is simple, you only need to worry about moving left and right to dodge anything that gets in your way. The highlight though is the Rookie Series Mode that streamlines all the gameplay mechanics and is perfect for younger players.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
- PEGI Rating: 3
- Platforms: PS4, XBO, NSW
- Online multiplayer
- Local play: up to 4 players
Missing out on the kart racing crown by the narrowest of margins, Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled provides a solid alternative for those who don't own a Switch or gel with Mario Kart's gameplay. As well as a story mode (which allows for co-op), there's a huge selection of tracks and modes that developer Beenox expanded on with several modern additions. The amount of customisation and unlocks will keep you coming back race after race.
RingFit Adventure
- PEGI Rating: 7
- Platforms: NSW
Sadly, RingFit Adventure doesn't support multiplayer out of the box but that doesn't stop you from getting your friends and family up off the sofa and getting their sweat on. It requires a little preparation and a few props though you can easily create workout sessions for you and others with one player being the leader. Some exercises will require a yoga/Pilates ring for those not holding the RingFit peripheral but you can tailor custom workout regimes that don't need them.
Epic announce next week's free PC game, adds Metro Last Light Redux
Those PC gamers swinging by the Epic Games Store for their weekly freebie fix will have noticed not one, but two titles up for grabs.
Following on from Dandara, the Fortnite publisher revealed For the King as their next featured giveaway. This has now been joined by post-apocalyptic FPS sequel, Metro Last Light Redux. Both games are available from now until Thursday, February 11th.
Next week, this latest pair of games will be swapped out for Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander, the 2017 sci-fi roleplaying game from developer Massive Damage Inc.
You can view a full list of every free Epic games below, complete with dates of availability, and reviews plucked from our archive.
Epic Games store complete free games list
| Game Name | Dates Available |
| Metro Last Light Redux | February 4-11,2021 |
| For the King | February 4-11,2021 |
| Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition | January 28, 2021-February 4, 2021 |
| Galactic Civilizations III | January 21-28, 2021 |
| Star Wars Battlefront II | January 14-21, 2021 |
| Crying Suns | January 7-14, 2021 |
| Jurassic World: Evolution | December 31, 2020-January 7, 2021 |
| Torchlight II | December 30 |
| Solitairica | December 29 |
| Stranded Deep | December 28 |
| Night in the Woods | December 27 |
| My Time At Portia | December 26 |
| Darkest Dungeon | December 25 |
| Inside | December 24 |
| Tropico 5 | December 23 |
| Metro 2033 Redux | December 22 |
| Alien: Isolation | December 21, 2020 |
| Defense Grid: The Awakening | December 20, 2020 |
| The Long Dark | December 19 , 2020 |
| Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty | December 18, 2020 |
| Cities Skylines | December 17, 2020 |
| 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 |
Source: Epic Games
Something for the Weekend – 06/02/21
It's the biggest weekend of the year so far for sports fans, with the usual slate of football matches joined by the cricket test matches (aired on terrestrial for the first time in forever), the start of the rugby Six Nations, and the Super Bowl for people that can stay up late on Sunday night.
Let the 'Superb Owl' jokes commence!
In the News This Week
- Google Stadia is shutting down their internal game studios
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker revealed – PS5 open beta is coming in April
- Mass Effect Legendary Edition graphics comparison, gameplay changes & more detailed
- 4.5 million PS5s shipped in 2020, as Sony predict best ever year for PlayStation
- Total War: Warhammer III will complete the epic grand strategy trilogy in late 2021
- Embracer Group buys Gearbox, Aspyr Media, and Easybrain – 2K Games comment [updated]
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake delayed again
- Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 won't launch in 2021
- Stubbs the Zombie remaster leaks with a March release for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One
- EA College Football game is coming, but what does this mean for NCAA players?
- The next Battlefield game will be out this Christmas, reveal this Spring
- Resident Evil Village's sexy vampire lady is almost 3m tall (in heels)
Games in Review
There was another healthy slate of reviews for this week, including the PS5 remaster and PC release of Nioh 2 and Destruction AllStars, which is making a splash on PlayStation Plus.
- Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition – PS5, PS4, PC – 9/10
- Habroxia 2 – 9/10
- Helheim Hassle – PS4, XBO, NSW, PC – 8/10
- Turrican Flashback – PS4, NSW – 8/10
- Sword of the Necromancer – PS4, XBO, NSW, PC – 7/10
- Destruction AllStars – PS5 – 6/10
- Landflix Odyssey – PS4, XBO, NSW, PC – 6/10
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood – PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO, PC – 5/10
Featured Articles
Skimming through the rest of the features, and ahead of its release, we caught up with Lucid Games and XDEV to discuss Destruction AllStars' origins.
Nick had a look at the Resident Evil Re:Verse Beta, pondering if its monster mayhem can make an essential multiplayer mode instead of a short throwaway experience, while Tom went hands on with Valheim in Early Access, which he felt was a survival game with a rare sense of purpose.
I previewed Maskmaker, which is set to be another inventive VR puzzler from the maskers of A Fisherman's Tale, before pondering what is it Google and Amazon don't understand about gaming?
While he was rather wrong in the end, Reuben took a stab at guessing what the next Final Fantasy XIV expansion would bring to the table. Turns out it's even wilder than he thought!
And rounding things out, What We Played featured Destruction AllStars, Control: Ultimate Edition & Persona 5 Strikers.
Trailer Park
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker revealed with PS5 open beta coming in April
Stellaris' next expansion is Nemesis and it give players the "most powerful tools" so far
Mass Effect Legendary Edition revealed
Destiny 2: Beyond Light – Season of the Chosen revealed, going live next week
Your Achievements
Here's what you in our community has been up to this week:
- Would you believe that Crazy_Del has already bagged the Destruction AllStars platinum? Well he has!
- doomsday619 completed the DLC Beowulf Mission in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, played some COD Zombies in splitscreen with his sons, has been working his way through Hitman 3 on PSVR, and ramming it up in Destruction AllStars as well. Busy week!
- It was Concrete Genie and Control (on PS4) for MrYd, with some Darksiders Genesis from PS Now, "too much" Hitman 3 in VR, and a quick dash to grab the "5 level 50 characters" trophy in Hunt: Showdown.
- After 55 hours spent in Night City, TSBonyman feels the game is "all going to be over too soon", so he's branching off to do a bunch of side missions to savour the rest of it.
- Andrewww is on his second run of Resident Evil 2, finding its difficulty quite surprising!
That's all for this week's gaming round-up. As always, have fun at home, stay safe if and when you're out, and we'll see you next week.
Steelrising playtest session taking place in March, you can register interest now
Spiders has announced that it will be hosting an online playtest for its alternate history title Steelrising in March, and those who want to take part can register their interest now. An exact start date is to be confirmed but the playtest will last 7-10 days, and will be hosted through Steam. That means you will need a Steam account to take part. Anyone who is chosen to take part will have to agree to a non-disclosure agreement to stop the publication of anything experienced in this build of Steelrising. You can register interest here.
In Steelrising, you play as Aegis, the robotic bodyguard of Queen Marie-Antoinette, ordered to find your creator and put and end to the tyranny of King Louis XVI and the robot army he is using to crack down on the French Revolution. The Paris depicted in the game includes many monuments and famous locations, including those that no longer exist, including the Grand Chatelet and the Tour du Temple. Aegis has weapons built into her body, with items found while exploring letting you make her more powerful, more durable, or more mobile. There's seven families of weapons, which could be built into her arms, alchemical rifles for long range, or more powerful and forceful options as well.
Spiders' last big release was Greedfall and in our review for that, Gareth wrote:
"Greedfall has an ambitious story, but it's not backed up by the clearly repeated environments, simple combat and dull abilities that take ages to unlock. However, seasoned RPG players might well be able able to look past those flaws in favour of the interesting, well written stories about political manoeuvres and oppression that make up the bulk of the quests in this pretty dark, deep world."
Hitman 3 PC players will be able to import Hitman 2 locations from Steam by end of February
Just before the launch of Hitman 3 a rather big issue popped up for PC players who owned the previous two Hitman games on Steam. With Hitman 3 being an Epic Games Store exclusive there was no way for Steam owners of the previous games to import the locations present in them to Hitman 3, essentially rendering of the main features useless. However, at the time IO Interactive and Epic did say they were working on a solution, and now they have. IO Interactive has stated that the fix is being tested and will be live by the end of February.
An update for PC players on location importing
- Whilst we've been busy launching HITMAN 3, we've also been working on the promised solution for allowing PC players to import locations that they already own into HITMAN 3 on Epic. We've got that solution worked out and it's currently being tested and verified from all angles to make it as robust as possible. In terms of timing, it's definitely a case of sooner rather than later. Even with the longest estimates we've looked at, the solution will be fully rolled out before the end of February. We'll keep you updated with the next steps.
On PlayStation and Xbox, the process is clearer. Any content you have from Hitman 2 is possible to be imported, with Hitman 1 having to first be redeemed for Hitman 2 (even if it's just the free Starter Pack) before it can make the jump to Hitman 3. See the full details here. In our review for Hitman 3, Jim wrote: