Destiny 2 Proving Grounds Nightfall Won't be Free for All Players
Bungie recently released the first new Strike for Destiny 2 since Beyond Light's release with Proving Grounds. Though part of Season of the Chosen, the Strike is free for all players. Unfortunately, the Nightfall version isn't. The developer clarified that its inclusion in the season's calendar was "incorrect."
In order to play the Proving Grounds Nightfall, players will need the Beyond Light expansion and Season of the Chosen pass. Bungie will update the calendar going forward to reflect this. To be fair, when viewing an older version of the same, it does not in fact state the Nightfall version is free for all players (only the regular Strike).
This move is likely to get ahead of potential complaints from those who can't access the Proving Grounds Nightfall when it's in rotation. Regardless, if you want to partake in the game's end-game activities, you need to own all of the latest content. Destiny 2's Season of the Chosen is currently ongoing but will come to a close on May 11th. Stay tuned for more details on the next season in the coming weeks.
On the Season of the Chosen calendar, Proving Grounds Nightfall was listed as Free to All Players. This is incorrect, and players must own Beyond Light and the Season of the Chosen Season Pass to access this Nightfall.
The calendar will be updated to reflect this.
— Bungie Help (@BungieHelp) March 31, 2021
Call of Duty: Warzone – 1980s Verdansk Map Seemingly Leaked
Call of Duty: Warzone continues to go as strong as ever, and Activision's constant updates, big and small, have kept players coming back to the free-to-play shooter. Rumours and leaks have spoken about many other updates seemingly coming to the game, and one big one seems to have leaked as well.
Recently, footage of a 1980s overhaul of the Verdansk map was leaked, and was doing the rounds everywhere on the internet, including social media and on YouTube. Activision quickly took most of it down, but you can check out a brief clip on Reddit. VGC, meanwhile, states that according to its sources, the leak is legit, so this might be your first proper look at the upcoming map overhaul.
There's been plenty of other Call of Duty leaks doing the rounds of late. This year's game is allegedly going to be developed by Sledgehammer Games and will be called Call of Duty WW2: Vanguard, and will be developed using Modern Warfare (2019)'s IW8 engine. Meanwhile, reports have also suggested that a separate, full-fledged Zombies-focused game is also in the works.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility.
Demon's Souls Remake Creative Director Leaves Sony
Following the departure of several high profile figures in quick succession and reports of Sony beginning to de-emphasize the Japanese market, it was recently confirmed by Sony that SIE Japan Studio was being wound down as a development studio. Now, the influx is continuing, with more developers either being let go or moving on.
The latest in that long list of names is Gavin Moore, who was the creative director of last year's PS5 flagship launch title, the Demon's Souls remake. Moore confirmed recently via his Twitter page that after over two decades at Sony, he is now moving on. "Time to seek out new and exciting opportunities," he wrote, though did not elaborate.
Moore had been at SIE Japan Studio since 2003, where he worked on the Siren series, was the creative director on Puppeteer, and most recently, on Demon's Souls. Prior to that, he spent six years at SIE London Studio, where he worked on the PS2 open world shooter The Getaway.
After 24 years at Sony and 18 of those in Japan, yesterday was my last day at #JAPANStudio. I will miss the great creative spirit and camaraderie of the studio that was a huge part of my life. Time to seek out new and exciting opportunities!! pic.twitter.com/XOW0XytYd4
— gavin moore (@GavinmGavin) April 1, 2021
Dying Light 2 Developer Addresses Reports of Delays Due to C-Engine
Techland's Dying Light 2 doesn't have a release date – aside from the ambiguous "2021" stated in the recent developer update – but it's still very much alive. Speaking to WCCF Tech in a new interview, senior technology programmer Łukasz Burdka provided some insight into development, especially when it came to C-Engine. Previous reports indicated that engine's complexity was one of the reasons for the game's delay.
Burdka stated that, "The transition to C-Engine overlapped with the pre-production stage of Dying Light 2" and that such changes were "unavoidable" to create the game's detailed world. "Our developers needed time to adapt to the technology, and our Engine department needed time to improve the user experience of the new editor. The early stage of C-Engine's deployment was a difficult period for our production, but it was necessary to fulfill the ambitions of Dying Light 2."
At one point, Techland stated the sequel's map to be four times larger than that of the previous game. When asked if this still held true or if there had been any downsizing due to technical issues, Burdka responded, "C-Engine does a great job supporting large-scale open worlds. Thanks to the World Streaming technology, it's not the technology that limits the map's size. Tools such as CityBuilder allow us to quickly cover huge areas with a realistic urban environment that can be rendered efficiently in the game.
"What actually limits the map's size is the time needed to fill the city with unique gameplay challenges, memorable stories, and interesting exploration possibilities. There was no downsizing due to technical reasons. The estimate that the map in Dying Light 2 is four times bigger than that of the original game is the most precise estimate that we can provide. The map of Dying Light 2 is much more vertical and gives many more exploration opportunities, so the city feels even bigger than it is."
Dying Light 2 is currently in development for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It will also include options for 4K, ray tracing and 60 FPS on Xbox Series X and PS5. Stay tuned for more details and hopefully new gameplay footage in the coming months.
Dying Light 2 Will Have Ray-Tracing, 4K, and 60 FPS Modes on PS5 and Xbox Series X
Dying Light 2's had a pretty eventful pre-launch life, thanks to multiple delays and, according to reports, some pretty serious development troubles. Developer Techland recently provided an update on the game, and though the update was pretty light on anything substantial, they did ensure fans that Dying Light 2 is still very much in development, and progressing forward. In a recent interview with Wccftech, they provided several other details about the game, also confirming some new details on its PS5 and Xbox Series X versions.
More specifically, rendering director Tomasz Szałkowski confirms that on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, Dying Light 2 will feature separate graphical modes to prioritize ray-tracing, 60 frames per second gameplay, and 4K resolution. "We plan to allow you to choose: Quality (including ray tracing), Performance (60+ FPS), and 4K," Szałkowski said. "As we are working hard on performance, I cannot provide more details at this point. We try to cram as much as possible onto the next-gen consoles."
Dying Light 2 is supposedly due out later this year for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more details on the game in the coming months.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X are mostly on level ground in terms of their hardware capabilities, but they both do have a leg up over the other in some specific ways. Where the Xbox Series X has a much more impressive GPU, the PS5 boasts a faster SSD. We're still in the early months of this new console generation, which means it's too soon to pass judgment on what those gaps between the two amount to, but some developers have also started taking note and speaking about it.
For instance, Teyon's Łukasz Bróg, producer of Monster Truck Championship, recently spoke to GamingBolt about the the impressive SSDs in both new consoles, and what they're going to result in in terms of faster loading and more efficient streaming. Specifically in terms of Monster Truck Championship, however, Bróg told us that there wasn't a siignificant difference in the SSD speeds of both consoles.
"One of the biggest technological changes in the current generation of consoles is fast reading," Bróg said. "It will contribute a lot to shortening the loading time of a game and levels, or even eliminate the waiting time during loading at all. But not only that! In the future, further development of the technology for texture and geometry streaming will allow creation of far more complex scenes in games than it is possible now. We can already see a glimpse of that in the demo outlining capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 released by Epic Games. In Monster Truck Championship, the difference between PS5 and XSX is not that noticeable, as the XSX disk speed is enough for a very quick loading – only a few seconds for screens."
Of course, Monster Truck Championship is a cross-gen title, which means it's not built to leverage PS5 and Xbox Series X's SSDs as much as next-gen exclusives in the future will be. More than anything, it'll be interesting to see how first party exclusives built specifically for either console will leverage their hardware.
Monster Truck Championship is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. In our review of the game, we awarded it a score of 7/10, saying, "Monster Truck Championship makes a case for the most impressive monster truck simulator on the market, but its lack of content hinders its longevity." You can read our full review through here.
Monster Hunter Rise Boss Guide – How to Beat Great Wroggi, Arzuros and Volvidon
The real heavy-hitters haven't shown up yet in Monster Hunter Rise but that doesn't mean this next batch of monsters is a cake-walk. First up is Great Wroggi, yet another Bird Wyvern that can summon minions (in this case, normal Wroggi). Its main calling card is the poison it spits out as a toxic cloud – it's advised to attack at off angles to make avoiding this easier.
Water is its main elemental weakness and you should focus attacks on its head in order to break its poison sac. This will cause its poison cloud attacks to become smaller while also clearing them up quicker. Great Wroggi will hip-check you if you're poisoned so take a moment to consume an antidote when necessary. Beware its tail-whips, which it can continuously use, and charges which sometimes follow its poison attacks.
How to Beat Arzuros
Next is Arzuros, a Fanged Beast that looks like a honey badger mixed with a bear and is just as vicious. Its elemental weaknesses include Fire, Ice and Thunder with its foreleg being the main breakable part. Its head is susceptible to all kinds of damage. When attacking the rear or hind leg, cutting and impact damage are the best. Shot damage is especially good when damaging its upper half. Exhaust, Sleep, Paralysis and Poison serve as strong ailments against it.
Arzuros will usually swipe at the player, which is easy enough to avoid, and lunge with both front paws at once. The one attack you need to be careful of is its pin, which is capable of stunning and throwing the player. It can also unleash a charge with some decent travel time. The key is to focus on breaking the plates on its hind legs (Ice is the best element in this regard and cutting damage the most effective). Doing so will cause Arzuros to trip more often, thus opening up opportunities. It can easily attack with its rear when it goes from a standing to seated position – be careful once it gets ready to sit down.
How to Beat Volvidon
Volvidon is another Fanged Beast, one that spits fluid that can inflict Paralysis. It also rolls around continuously – one of its rolling attacks sees it leaping into the air and then dropping down with area of effect damage (which can also cause you to stumble). It stays on its back for a good few seconds, providing some time to attack. Volvidon is also capable of backwards rolling to quickly create distance.
If all of this wasn't enough, it can also shoot out its tongue from afar and deal damage. Be careful attacking it from the rear as well since it can emit gas – you'll see it seeping from the monster before the attack goes off. This inflicts the Stench/Soiled debuff which prevents item usage so keep some Deodorants handy.
Bring Water or Ice element weapons and focus on attacking its head and back. Weapons like the Hammer, Charge Blade and Switch Axe can be very good against Volvidon, especially when it starts rolling around. If you catch it before it rolls, there's a chance it will be interrupted and remain vulnerable for a short duration. Break the armor on its back and keep piling on the damage to emerge victorious.
10 Games to Look Forward to in April 2021
With so many big releases being delayed, some into next year, it's always good to appreciate those games that do launch. And thankfully, there are also enough interesting titles in April – from looter shooters and rogue-lites to photography – to check out. Let's go over 10 of them here.
Outriders
People Can Fly's looter shooter has seen its share of delays but it's finally, finally gearing up for release. Outriders takes place in the future where humanity travels to Enoch for colonization. While investigating a mysterious signal, it's hit by a powerful storm. Many die but others, including the player character, gain powerful new abilities. With the signal manifesting once more, the player sets out from the First City to discover the truth and hopefully ensure humanity's long-term survival.
Though Outriders is a third person shooter with cover mechanics, it encourages players to enter the fray and slay foes, providing health on kills. There are four classes – Pyromancer, Devastator, Trickster and and Technomancer – with different skill trees that can fit varying play-styles, from tanking to support. With a fairly large campaign, end-game Expeditions and support for three player co-op, that too without no microtransactions or live-service elements, there's plenty to look forward to. Outriders is out on April 1st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia. It will also launch day one on Xbox Game Pass for console.
Oddworld: Soulstorm
A re-imagining of Abe's Exoddus, Oddworld: Soulstorm has also been a long-time coming. After Abe freed the Mudokons from slavery, he must now lead them while fending off the Magog Cartel. Whether Abe can find his voice and lead the revolution or the Mudokons fall depends purely on the player. Oddworld: Soulstorm throws in the same sneaking, puzzle solving and platforming that defined its predecessor but on a larger scale and a 2.9D perspective.
You also have the opportunity to command your Mudokon followers to help, as they can act passive or aggressive depending on the situation. Craft items, gift them to followers, amass an army and scavenge from foes in order to survive. Just make sure that none of your fellow Mudokons die in the process. Oddworld: Soulstorm is out on April 6th for PS4, PS5 and PC with PlayStation Plus subscribers getting the PS5 version free for the month.
Borderlands 3: Director's Cut DLC
Included with Season Pass 2, the Director's Cut marks the final piece of DLC for Borderlands 3. Hemovorous the Invincible is the latest end-game raid boss, requiring 500 Eridium to battle and whose power scales with the player and Mayhem level. Ava also features in the new story missions which see players venturing to different planets to investigate murders tied to the supernatural. Visiting crime scenes and piecing together clues is important with the results apparently "sending ripples" throughout the base game's story. Finally, the first of three Vault Cards arrives, bringing over 100 challenges to earn cosmetics, powerful gear that scales to your level and more. The Director's Cut DLC is out on April 8th for all platforms.
MLB The Show 21
As the first title in the series to release on Xbox platforms, MLB The Show 21 isn't simply providing improved visuals. It has a Casual Mode for learning the ropes, tons of new animations for everything from bat tosses to fielding, streamlines progression for the March to October season and much more. Current-gen versions even get the new Stadium Creator which allows for designing your own ballpark from the ground up with more than 1000 pieces. Of course, you can also share your stadiums and play those created by other users. If that weren't enough, MLB The Show 21 will even have cross-play and cross-progression. It's slated to release on April 20th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4 and PS5.
Century: Age of Ashes
Playwing LTD's Century: Age of Ashes is a free to play multiplayer title that enters early access in April. What sets it apart from the competition are the dragons. As a Dragoneer, you choose a class and dragon and incinerate, maul and/or decimate your foes. Three modes are available from the outset – Carnage, a 6v6 team deathmatch mode; Survival, which sees three 6-player teams battling to be the last team standing; and Gates of Fire where one team must deliver a flag, passing through gates and earning points while doing so. Leveling up unlocks cosmetics for your character and dragon while additional classes will be coming in the future.
MotoGP 21
The MotoGP series returns with its yearly iteration, offering over 120 riders and 20 tracks from the 2021 season. And while it may be more of the same, MotoGP 21 lets you customize pretty much everything, from racing conditions to various parts and accessibility. Some of the more interesting additions include bike retrieval – falling off your bike now has you picking it up and manually getting back into the race – and the long lap penalty, providing more nuance to races. Extensive customization for one's rider, the event creator and so on are also here with more features. MotoGP 21 is out on April 22nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…
Following the incredible success of NieR: Automata, it seemed only a matter of time before its predecessor was remastered. Based on the PS3 version released in Japan, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is more than just a remaster – it heavily revamps the visuals, from character models to environments, while improving the combat. Fully voiced characters, rearranged music and new tracks also round out the excellent presentation as players venture the world to discover a cure of the Black Scrawl. Along the way, they'll discover the meaning of existence, and what it truly means to be alive. Releasing on April 23rd, Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… will be available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Returnal
Housemarque's high-octane arcade shooter action marches to a stronger narrative beat in Returnal. Deep space ASTRA scout Selene crash lands on a strange planet called Atropos, only to discover constant hostility, shifting environments and a Groundhog Day-like cycle of death. Utilizing 10 different weapons with over 90 mods to customize them with, Selene must learn the secrets of Atropos and try to escape. Interspersed in each run are unique narrative events that provide more background into her past while audio logs detail the more terrifying occurrences on the planet – like Selene encountering and killing another version of herself. Returnal is out on April 30th for PS5.
New Pokémon Snap
It's been roughly 12 years since Pokemon Snap launched on the Nintendo 64, providing a unique spin on "catching them all" by focusing on Pokemon photography. New Pokemon Snap follows the same principles with improved visuals and more than 200 Pokemon to photograph. Venturing to the Lental region, the player assists Professor Mirror in investigating the Illumina phenomenon. Using the NEO-ONE, they'll journey through various environments like deserts and beaches, with Pokemon exhibiting different behaviors at different times of day. Use Illumina orbs to make them glow or Fluffruit to lure them out and take pictures, with higher rated shots improving Research Levels and unlocking new areas. Along with photo-editing, players can share their snaps online – amass enough likes and your work could be featured in-game. New Pokemon Snap is set to release on April 30th for the Switch.
Terminator: Resistance Enhanced
Of the many games one expected to garner a positive following after mixed critical reviews, Terminator: Resistance was probably low on the list. Nevertheless, the first person shooter, which takes place in the franchise's Future War scenario, offered up some fun combat and interesting mechanics like changing the fates of different characters. A new mode, Infiltrator, was also added as players control a T-800 and taking out resistance members. The Enhanced version promises loads of improvements, from lighting and shadow improvements to 4K/60 FPS gameplay and faster loading times. It's exclusive to PS5 and launches on April 30th.
MLB The Show 21 Brings The Legends In Latest Trailer
MLB The Show is once again stepping up to the plate, this year for the first time outside the PlayStation ecosystem with Xbox versions also coming. It's sure to be the great baseball simulation experience we've all come to know and love, and like most sports titles it wouldn't be complete without a nice batch of legends to mix and match with.
A new trailer has been released that highlights the various legends. There are a lot here from various eras, going all the way back to the iconic Babe Ruth to the more recent retired stars still with us like Prince Fielder. As always, it should be fun to mix and match with the various older players with the new teams. You can check out the full trailer below.
MLB The Show 21 will release on April 20th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. You can also read up details on various aspects of the game such as its progression, casual mode and much more through here.
Dontnod Entertainment Plans 5 Self-Published Titles Between 2022 and 2025
Every since launching the Life is Strange series, Dontnod has emerged as one of the most interesting independent developers on the scene. While they don't seem to be involved in that series anymore, they still have a lot in production. While we don't know the scope of it all just yet, it does seem they also have an ambitious release schedule heading into the next few years.
As part of their 2020 business review, the company detailed their financials as well as future plans. In it, they mention they have multiple projects in development, something that isn't a surprise considering things said in the past. However, what may be surprising is they say they have 5 self-published titles in addition to those with other partnerships, namely the game they are working with Focus Home Interactive on that's yet to be unveiled. They apparently hope to have these released in a pretty tight timeframe, between 2022 and 2025.
As of now, we don't know what Dontnod is working on, whether by their own or with partners. Their last titles both released in 2020 with Tell Me Why and Twin Mirror. 5 titles releasing within three years is quite the goal, so it'll be interesting to see what comes of that in the next few years.