Knockout City Hits Five Million Players in Two Weeks
In what amounts to a real knockout for the title, Velan Studios and EA Originals' Knockout City has reached a five million player milestone in just two weeks.
The latest post from the Knockout City blog (which can be read here) had to say the following:
Taking a page from the world of dodgeball, Knockout City is a team-based competitive multiplayer that allows players to wack their enemies with a ball. Different balls are available for use, including the jump-enhancing Moon Ball and the explosive Bomb Ball.
Learn more about Season 1 coming to the game with the official trailer below:
Welcome to Knockout City — Official Season 1 Trailer
The game is now available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC.
In what amounts to a real knockout for the title, Velan Studios and EA Originals' Knockout City has reached a five million player milestone in just two weeks
The Sister of the Thorn career will make its way to Fatshark's Warhammer: Vermintide 2 today
The world of Thunkd and AMC Games' The Magnificent Trufflepigs is now available on Steam
In celebration of the Isle of Spires EP, meet the composers behind the score of Guerrilla Games and PlayStation Studios' Horizon Forbidden West with the latest video for the title
The post Knockout City Hits Five Million Players in Two Weeks appeared first on GamersHeroes.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Sister of the Thorn Career Now Available
The Sister of the Thorn career will make its way to Fatshark's Warhammer: Vermintide 2 today.
This new career for Kerillian brings with it the Briar Javelin and Deepwood Staff, a new talent tree, an exclusive character skin, new challenges, new voice lines, and a new hat. She will be able to use her magic in a much greater way, serving as the heaviest support of all careers in the title.
Learn more with the trailer below:
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 – Sister of the Thorn Career | Official Trailer
According to Fatshark CEO Martin Wahlund:
You can find the page for the Sister of the Thorn on Steam here. Those new to Warhammer Vermintide 2 will be able to get themselves 75% off during the Skulls of the Skull Throne event.
For the console players among us, the new career will be released on June 30, 2021.
In what amounts to a real knockout for the title, Velan Studios and EA Originals' Knockout City has reached a five million player milestone in just two weeks
The Sister of the Thorn career will make its way to Fatshark's Warhammer: Vermintide 2 today
The world of Thunkd and AMC Games' The Magnificent Trufflepigs is now available on Steam
In celebration of the Isle of Spires EP, meet the composers behind the score of Guerrilla Games and PlayStation Studios' Horizon Forbidden West with the latest video for the title
The post Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Sister of the Thorn Career Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes.
The Magnificent Trufflepigs Now Available
The world of Thunkd and AMC Games' The Magnificent Trufflepigs is now available on Steam.
Designed by Andrew Crawshaw (Everybody's Gone to the Rapture) and scored by composer Kevin Penkin (Necrobarista), this title is best described as a romantic metal-detecting narrative adventure that contains a number of treasures for players to unearth.
Learn more with the live action trailer below:
The Magnificent Trufflepigs: Live Action Vignette | Coming Soon This Summer 2021
Thunkd's director Andrew Crawshaw said the following:
Clayton Neuman, VP of Games for AMC Networks added:
The title can be found on Steam here, and currently features a 10% launch discount.
In what amounts to a real knockout for the title, Velan Studios and EA Originals' Knockout City has reached a five million player milestone in just two weeks
The Sister of the Thorn career will make its way to Fatshark's Warhammer: Vermintide 2 today
The world of Thunkd and AMC Games' The Magnificent Trufflepigs is now available on Steam
In celebration of the Isle of Spires EP, meet the composers behind the score of Guerrilla Games and PlayStation Studios' Horizon Forbidden West with the latest video for the title
The post The Magnificent Trufflepigs Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes.
Horizon Forbidden West Composer Spotlight Released
In celebration of the Isle of Spires EP, meet the composers behind the score of Guerrilla Games and PlayStation Studios' Horizon Forbidden West with the latest video for the title.
Composer Joris De Man stated that it was important to know the story, and how things are not all that great. There's an element of sadness and impending danger that runs as an undercurrent in this title, which was woven into the theme of the game.
He is joined by Composer Niels Van Der Leest, who states that his challenge was making a new musical history. He set out to determine the sound palette for elements like the Tenakth, working in elements like drums to make a unique sound.
Joe Henson, who served as the composer for The Flight, also weighed in. He talked about how one can play established instruments in a different way, like using a guitar as more of a percussion instrument.
Finally, Composer Oleksa Lozowchuk aligned the sounds with the vision of the world, one that has already been established. He stated that he was excited but also nervous, realizing that he is creating something special.
You can watch the feature below:
Horizon Forbidden West – Meet the Composers | PS5, PS4
The game will come out for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
In what amounts to a real knockout for the title, Velan Studios and EA Originals' Knockout City has reached a five million player milestone in just two weeks
The Sister of the Thorn career will make its way to Fatshark's Warhammer: Vermintide 2 today
The world of Thunkd and AMC Games' The Magnificent Trufflepigs is now available on Steam
In celebration of the Isle of Spires EP, meet the composers behind the score of Guerrilla Games and PlayStation Studios' Horizon Forbidden West with the latest video for the title
The post Horizon Forbidden West Composer Spotlight Released appeared first on GamersHeroes.
Chivalry 2 Launch Trailer Released
Ahead of its global launch on June 8, the team at Torn Banner Studios has released the launch trailer for their upcoming medieval battlefield battler Chivalry 2.
Inspired by epic medieval movie battles, Chivalry 2 will pay host to clashing swords, flaming arrows, and castle sieges. 64-player battlefields are ripe for battle, and grand Team Objective maps will make their return. The combat system has also been overhauled, featuring faster and more fluid mechanics that contain an expanded range of creative choices.
To bring the game to life, thousands of new voice lines and a deep character customization suite have been included. Bringing this next-gen world to life is a world that has been rendered in Unreal Engine 4.
Learn more with the launch trailer below:
Chivalry 2 – Launch Trailer
The game will come out for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC via the Epic Games Store. Note that Chivalry 2 will also be available for streaming on GeForce NOW at launch.
In what amounts to a real knockout for the title, Velan Studios and EA Originals' Knockout City has reached a five million player milestone in just two weeks
The Sister of the Thorn career will make its way to Fatshark's Warhammer: Vermintide 2 today
The world of Thunkd and AMC Games' The Magnificent Trufflepigs is now available on Steam
In celebration of the Isle of Spires EP, meet the composers behind the score of Guerrilla Games and PlayStation Studios' Horizon Forbidden West with the latest video for the title
The post Chivalry 2 Launch Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes.
Triple Rewards in Land Races This Week in GTA Online
Speed freaks will be able to take advantage of Triple GTA$ and RP in all Rockstar-created Land Races this week in Rockstar Games' GTA Online.
On top of this opportunity, players will also be able to get Double GTA$ and RP in Business Battles and Special Cargo Sales.
Make sure to log in this week to get yourself a Navy Pinstripe Pajamas and a Navy Pinstripe Smoking Jacket on the house. A free Blue Check Smoking Jacket will also be available to players Rank 100 and above (to be received within 72 hours after June 14).
All those that swing by The Diamond Casino & Resort and spin the Lucky Wheel can win this week's top prize: The Överflöd Entity XXR. While there, make sure to take advantage of free drinks.
Clothing-wise, take advantage of 50% off all Import/Export Hoodies and all clothing at The Casino Store. In terms of Property Discounts, players can get themselves 40% off the Casino Penthouse, High-End Apartments and their renovations, 50% off all Special Cargo Warehouses, and 60% off Executive Offices. Finally, in terms of vehicle discounts, take 40% off the Karin Kuruma (Armored), Pegassi Reaper, Pegassi Osiris, Vapid FMJ, and Pegassi Tempesta, along with 35% off the Imponte Ruiner 2000.
Prime Gaming bonus-wise, those that connect their Social Club account with their Prime Gaming account can get themselves a GTA$100K bonus for playing any time this week. Subscribers can also get themselves 60% off the Maxwell Vagrant, 80% off the Karin Sultan Classic and Mammoth Patriot Stretch.
In what amounts to a real knockout for the title, Velan Studios and EA Originals' Knockout City has reached a five million player milestone in just two weeks
The Sister of the Thorn career will make its way to Fatshark's Warhammer: Vermintide 2 today
The world of Thunkd and AMC Games' The Magnificent Trufflepigs is now available on Steam
In celebration of the Isle of Spires EP, meet the composers behind the score of Guerrilla Games and PlayStation Studios' Horizon Forbidden West with the latest video for the title
The post Triple Rewards in Land Races This Week in GTA Online appeared first on GamersHeroes.
How To Throw Team Mate, Blitz, & Pass In Blood Bowl 3 Beta
The Blood Bowl 3 Closed Beta event is almost live. In this guide we discuss How To Throw Team Mate, Blitz, & Pass In Blood Bowl 3 Beta as a lot of players unfamiliar with the new ruleset may struggle with the controls. Blood Bowl 3's new user interface is a huge step away from Blood Bowl 2. The minimalistic design has been replaced with an overload of information. As such, veterans of Blood Bowl 2 may find themselves a little confused on how to complete specific actions.
The overall note of importance here is the changes to the ruleset in Blood Bowl Second Season, or Blood Bowl 2020. Coaches are now required to declare actions at the very start of a players turn. If you're simply making a block, this doesn't have much effect, but if you're hoping to do other actions, you will need to select a player and declare an action. Remember, if you want to do ANY action after moving, it must be declared before you move.
How To Throw Team Mate In Blood Bowl 3
Throw Team Mate is one of the most confusing actions to complete as the interface, despite its overload of other information, doesn't really provide you with enough information to make it fluid. Firstly, you will want select the Troll. You will know the Troll is selected because a blue circle will appear under the player. Once the Troll has been selected, hover your mouse over a Goblin Bruiser that is next to the Troll.
Hold the Left Mouse Button, this will bring up the radial menu. Select Throw Team Mate at the top of the menu, this will bring up another interface showing the range of Throw Team Mate. Then, select the square you want to throw a Goblin into. You will then see the "Go" icon appear at the bottom of the screen. Select that or press Space Bar to initiate the action.
How To Blitz, Pass, Hand Off & Foul
The rest of the actions work in the same. If you want to Blitz a distant target, you simply select the player and then select the target, the Blitz will automatically apply. If you want to do more complex actions, such as throwing a pass after picking up the ball, you need to activate the player. Select the player first and then choose the action you want to do during that players turn. Then complete any movement or other options prior, before using the skill at the end of the activation.The post How To Throw Team Mate, Blitz, & Pass In Blood Bowl 3 Beta appeared first on GamersHeroes.
Blood Bowl 3 Release Date Delayed, Physical Edition & Cross-Platform Concerns
During a recent press preview event for Blood Bowl 3, several members of the press had the opportunity to pitch questions directly to Clement Nicolin (Product Manager) and Hama Doucoure (PR & Communication Specialist) of Nacon, where much of the uncertainties surrounding Blood Bowl 3's launch were addressed. It's a mix of really exciting news and some, well, not so exciting news.
First and foremost, the release date has changed. With COVID causing havoc across most industries in 2020 and 2021, the video-game industry suffered a delayed reaction in a lot of ways. Most of the games that were ready and planned to launch during the stricter months of lockdown have been and gone but the real issue was for those still in development. Blood Bowl 3 seems to be one of those victims, suffering several delays already this year with the original release expected to arrive not too long after Blood Bowl Second Season's release in November.
The release was then delayed to be later this year but has since received another blow, with the expected Blood Bowl 3 release date now February 2022. While this is surely a disappointment for a lot of fans, you won't have to wait that long to get in on the action. A beta event is planned to take place from June 3rd through to June 13th, featuring a brief glimpse of what the final game has to offer.
The beta event will be free to access, simply by requesting a key through the official website. Content will be limited to three teams, Imperial Nobility, Black Orcs, and Elven Union, each roughly representing several of the games various archetypes. No player customization options will be available, although limited team customization choices will be present. Furthermore, none of the competitive aspects of the game will be available, such as Leagues and Tournaments. Local play and online matchmaking will be available.
Following the beta event, Early Access for Blood Bowl 3 is expected to launch on PC in September of this year, although we're unsure of what content will be available in that release. Cross-platform play is also looking increasingly unlikely. After originally announcing cross-platform in August of last year, developers Cyanide quickly recanted and have not said much since. During the press preview event, the question was pitched to Clement Nicolin, but he was unable to either confirm or deny cross-platform support. It's a huge selling point for a niche game that looks to launch across multiple platforms, with competitive play vital to the games natural growth. Limiting that audience to single platforms works, but it's not the best environment. It also likely means the Nintendo Switch version could struggle very early on.
In other news, they confirmed that there are no plans to include Deathzone or Blood Bowl 7's rules in the game, additional optional rules that were released not long after Blood Bowl Second Season for tabletop.
If you want to know more, be sure to check out our full Blood Bowl 3 Hands-On Preview.
Summary
- Blood Bowl 3 release delayed to February 2022
- Beta event will run from June 3rd to June 13th
- Early Access launches sometime in September
The post Blood Bowl 3 Release Date Delayed, Physical Edition & Cross-Platform Concerns appeared first on GamersHeroes.
Games Workshops' Blood Bowl has always appealed to a niche audience, but it's a community of passionate players that support the game both on and off the tabletop. Following the release of Blood Bowl Second Season – the latest edition to grace the tabletop world – Blood Bowl 3 looks to bring the latest ruleset to life on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Nacon's Clement Nicolin and Hama Doucoure to discuss the upcoming release of Blood Bowl 3, before having some hands-on time with a limited content preview build. There was a lot to digest both on and off the pitch, but what does Blood Bowl 3 have in store for the next generation of coaches?
Blood Bowl 3 Hands-On Preview
Before we dive any further into the conversation, I feel I should stress at the quality level of the build we played. Blood Bowl 3's release date has been pushed back to February 2022, so this game is nearly a year away from being in a state where Cyanide Studios and Nacon feel content putting it into the hands of paying players. The user interface clearly needs a lot more work. The actions and animations on the pitch are rough and some identical to Blood Bowl 2, sound effects are missing, it is lacking commentary, certain skills don't work, and the AI is comical. It's actually worse than Blood Bowl 2, which I wasn't sure was possible. A lot of the bells and whistles of the final version are missing, but with nearly nine months still left until release, it's unfair to be too critical of such issues.
The press preview build is very much the same as the upcoming beta build. It's very limited in content, with only three teams available for play: Elven Union, Black Orcs, and Imperial Nobility. In fact, the latter two are the two teams sold with the most recent version of the tabletop game. There are currently no leagues, tournaments, or other modes of play; there's simply local 1v1, 1v1 against the AI, and random matchmaking against anyone online.
Before diving into the brutality on the pitch, I spent some time exploring the new functions when creating and managing teams. There's been some huge improvements, even with the limited content on offer. The user interface feels more sporty, more exciting, and more grand; even the font screams sport. Creating teams has everything on a single page, so you no longer have to work out how many players to buy before deciding how much can be spent on staff and re-rolls. It's clear, precise, and makes the team creation process very smooth. You can also change the names of players at any point – ANY POINT. Hoorah.
There wasn't much choice in terms of customization, as we were told this content would come at a later date. However, you can still explore the different options that will be available later down the line. Each team can select their own emblem, choose from different racial cheerleaders, select coaches from its most popular Star Players (which feels odd but it works), pick a different stadium, and create a motto. Marking your own stamp on your creations is a key component to the success of the tabletop games, so bringing as much of that as possible into Blood Bowl 3 can only mean good things.
Player customization is also looking to be hugely improved compared to Blood Bowl 2, a simple enough task as Blood Bowl 3's predecessor did not feature any individual player customization options at all. Each player can have different bits of equipment changed and swapped. This includes heads or helmets, both shoulder pads, both arms, and body armor. It's an area the video games have always struggled to compete with.
The potential customization options and ability to be creative on the tabletop version is one of the franchise's most exciting assets. While a video game will never be able to match that level of creativity, Blood Bowl 3 is definitely stepping in the right direction. I can finally make my awesome 2+ Human Thrower unique to all other Human Throwers I encounter, even if he continues to roll Cloud Burster for his first random skill – for the fifth time.
While veteran Blood Bowl players will take a few seconds to create teams, a lot of effort has been made to make it less intimidating for newer coaches. When recruiting or customizing players, everything is clearly displayed and explained. Their current stats, the skills in their arsenal, and the different abilities available depending on whether or not they invest SPP into Primary, Secondary, or Characteristic choices. Commonly known information for the more experienced players, but a much more streamlined experience for those diving in for the first time.
Nearly every single aspect of Blood Bowl 3, outside of what happens on the pitch, is leaps and bounds ahead of Blood Bowl 2. It's not perfect, as there are definitely areas that need some tweaking. However, it's in a fantastic place in this current build. Anyway, enough of the fluff, what about what's happening on the pitch?
Firstly, before a match even begins, there is a match settings option that currently includes only a single option (but that's enough) that allows players to customize the timer. There are several options available, none of which are explained, but there's huge improvements here that the community have been screaming about for a long time. Unlimited turn timers are an option, and there is now an option to support a bonus time clock. Default settings on "competitive" feature two minute turn timers but each player also has seven minutes of bonus time. Each time a players turn counter reaches 0:00, it begins to eat into the reserve time instead. This is a simple but incredibly important change that the competitive scene has been requesting for years.
The structure of games has also changed slightly. After matching has complete both coaches witness an introduction that showcases the home teams stadium and crowd, before panning to the managerial staff and both teams, facing off in the center of the pitch. It is a gorgeous introduction to the game, offering a much bigger spectacle. With more fans, more stands, and a more grandiose presentation, it really hypes up the initial moments of each match.
As your opponents examine the remains of your last opponents in the teeth of your big guys, both coaches dive into Inducements. Blood Bowl 2's inducements system was sluggish and cumbersome, side scrolling through player after player, searching for a particular staff member or star player. Blood Bowl 3's system is categorized into Inducements, Star Players, and Mercenaries.
Once you get into the meat and bones of the on-pitch play, the build we had really began to struggle. Certain actions, such as Passing or Throwing Team-Mate, didn't work reliably and caused connection issues, resulting in a failed game even when playing offline. While the core aspects remain much in the same as Blood Bowl 2, the ordering and design differ enough for it to be off-putting.
Some dice aren't visibly rolled at all, some are rolled after the fact, and the AI turns become a blur very quickly. I'd hardly noticed what player the AI had selected before an animation plays knocking my player to the ground. Other times one begins to move, then another knock down as I tried to figure out what the blitz target was. The UI is very busy with several radial menus, button menus, and options menus. It's a little much, but it's difficult to discern how much of that is Blood Bowl 3 and how much of it is my familiarity with Blood Bowl 2. These are all surface level problems that one would expect in a game so far from release. If the original release date was still planned, I would be concerned.
Blood Bowl 3 has the foundation to be the best entry in the franchise yet; it just needs a little more time on the training grounds. I should also point out that I threw a 1 in 9 on my first opening block in three of my six games, so Nuffle still sucks (don't tell him I said so).
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Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown Review
Originally released at a time when Razr flip phones were all the rage, the world of Virtua Fighter 5 makes its return with the release of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios and SEGA's Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown. Does this title still have it after all these years, or have Akira and his friends lost their magic touch?
Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown Review
Arcade warriors weaned on six button layouts will be thrown for a loop at the three button control scheme found here – at least at first. Consisting of a guard, a punch, and a kick, what seems simple hides an incredible amount of depth.
Combos are just the start; there's also varying throws, down attacks, wall moves that are dependent on the arena, back attacks, jump attacks, and even moves that come after certain moves. For the dedicated among us, feats of glory like Akira's guard-breaking "Toryu Tenshin Hazankai" will keep players training until they can pull each one off with ease.
There's no need to memorize pages of combos if you don't want to though; Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown allows those with a firm grasp of the fundamentals to stand their ground. The ultimate goal is to find an opening, and punishing whiffs and poorly timed blocks is the key to success. Those that wish to learn all of Wolf's wrestling grabs can certainly do so (and look cool while doing it), but its core foundation allows for all sorts of players.
Fighters live and die by their roster, and the 19 base characters of this title offer up a healthy amount of variety. Drunken kung-fu, lucha libre, kickboxing, and judo are just some of the practices players can dive into. The fact that there are no newcomers takes some of the wind out of this version's sails, but there are enough variations to keep things interesting.
Unfortunately, those flying solo won't have much content to keep them busy. A standard Arcade Mode against AI opponents, an Offline Versus mode, and a Training Mode with basic Tutorial, Command Training, and Free Training options are the only things available. The Quest Mode from the original release is MIA, greatly hampering its replayability. What is here is serviceable, but the series has previously seen much more single-player content on tap.
Rather, the key selling point of Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown is its online play. Ranked Matches are the main attraction, with players rising through the ranks and taking down all those that stand in their way. To keep things as streamlined as possible, players can choose the type of ranked players they come across, their connection quality, and their opponents' disconnect rate – a nice touch.
Unfortunately, the netcode in this title could use some work. We faced a bit of lag and some disconnects from the 30 matches we played, despite the fact that we had a wired cable Internet connection. Finding an opponent was a straightforward affair, but the core experience could have benefited greatly from rollback netcode. What is present here gets the job done, but something as key to the experience as this could have been greatly improved upon.
The three button setup of Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown has stood the test of time, providing an incredible amount of depth with a strong emphasis on the fundamentals. It's just a shame that the spotty netcode drags down the overall experience; those looking to seek out new challengers best come with a bit of patience.
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The post Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown Review appeared first on GamersHeroes.