Destiny 2 – Vanguard Tokens Expiring in Season 15
With the next Destiny 2 showcase set for August 24th and most likely revealing details on The Witch Queen, it's a wait to see what the next season has to offer. According to the latest This Week at Bungie, it seems that Season 15 will launch on the same day. This also marks the point where Vanguard Tokens will no longer be needed for grinding out Vanguard reputation ranks.
In fact, the Tokens will expire when Season of the Splicer ends so it's best to use them now while you can. Whether this change is coming to other Token-based vendors like the Crucible, Trials of Osiris, Iron Banner and so on remains to be seen. But it should start bringing things closer to Destiny 1's reputation grind, which some fans have been asking for.
Destiny 2 is currently available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia. The Witch Queen is slated to release in 2022. Stay tuned for more details next month – a release date for the expansion could finally be revealed.
Bloober Team Says it Has Two Games in Development, and Both Are Bigger Than The Medium
Recently, reports emerged that Bloober Team was working on three unannounced projects based on funding received from the Creative Europe Media Programme in the European Commission, with all three projects appearing with brief details on the programme's website, but the Polish studio has clarified via a statement provided to IGN that that information is incomplete and outdated.
The information on Creative Europe Media's website described three Bloober Team projects under production codenames- H20, a Layers of Fear sequel; Dum Spiro, a game set during the Second World War with a young boy imprisoned in a Jewish-Polish ghetto being the protagonist; and Black, a first person horror game in a medival setting that's been attacked by aliens.
According to Bloober Team CMO Tomasz Gawlikowski, H20 actually turned out to be Layers of Fear 2, rather than a third game in the series as it may have seemed initially. Meanwhile, the other two projects have changed significantly as well- the idea for Dum Spiro has been shelved, since the developer doesn't feel it can deliver a game that is "appropriately sensitive to the topic and commercially viable at the same time".
"After numerous iterations of Dum Spiro, we've concluded we can't at the moment deliver it in a form that is appropriately sensitive to the topic and commercially viable at the same time," Gawlikowski said. "In short, Dum Spiro is no longer in active development at the moment."
Meanwhile Black is still in development, but has changed significantly from what the game's information in the aforementioned report described. "The initial idea for Black has also been shelved, and while we're still developing a game under this codename, it's now a much different project than what you could read on the web in the past few days," Gawlikowski explained.
Of course, there's also been plenty of speculation of late that Bloober Team is also working on a Silent Hill reboot, with the developer recently having entered into a strategic partnership with Konami. While Gawlkikowski didn't comment on that, he did say the the studio is currently working on two projects- one of these is in full development, while the other is in pre-production, and both are apparently bigger in scope than The Medium, which was already Bloober Team's biggest game when it launched earlier this year.
"At Bloober Team we have two active internal projects, one in the production phase and one in the pre-production phase," he said. "Both are going to be bigger in scope than The Medium, however, neither of them is based on themes or premises that have been circulating online in the last days."
In all likelihood, the game being developed under the codename Black is the project that is currently in development, while the rumoured Silent Hill game is in pre-production. Of course, that is just speculation for now. All we can do is wait for some official word.
Lost Judgment Reveals Digital Deluxe and Ultimate Editions
Yakuza spinoff Judgment was excellent, and it's looking like its sequel Lost Judgment is going to follow suit. At yesterday's State of Play presentation, we got another look at the upcoming action-adventure title's gameplay, showing off its brawler combat, minigames, investigations, and more, and Sega also revealed details on the game's various editions.
On top of the standard edition, which will retail for $59.99, Lost Judgment will also have a Digital Deluxe Edition and a Digital Ultimate Edition. The former will cost $69.99, and on top of the base game, it will include the Detective Essentials Pack – which will give you various "lifestyle and detective items" – and the School Stories Expansion Pack – which will include a new set of items for each of the school club activities.
Meanwhile, there's also the Digital Ultimate Edition. On top of everything included in the Deluxe Edition, it will also include the Story Expansion Pack, which will feature additional story content. It will retail for $89.99. Finally, pre-ordering both these editions will also give you various "useful" in-game items, and will also let you play the game starting September 21, three days before launch.
Lost Judgment launches on September 24 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and Xbox One. Currently, there are no plans for a PC version.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is Out Now for Nintendo Switch and PC
After months of hype, numerous trailers and a free trial, Capcom's Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is now available for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch. The story follows the birth of a mythical Rathalos known as Razewing Ratha who is said to bring ruin to the world. As its Rider, it's your job to raise and protect it. Check out the launch trailer below.
Along with Razewing Ratha, players will encounter several other famous monsters like Rathian, Nergigante, Velkhana, Tigrex and Legiana. Combat is turn-based with a variety of different attack types and allies that will fight alongside you. Various Hunters crop up to stop Razewing Ratha but you'll also investigate the mass disappearance of Rathalos and the strange pits cropping up in the world.
The free trial is also available on PC via Steam, allowing even more players a chance to try out the RPG before taking the plunge. Like the Switch trial, progress will carry over into the full game. For more details on Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, check out our review here. More Monsties are coming post-launch with the first being the Palamute from Monster Hunter Rise so stay tuned for more updates.
Deathloop's PS5 Exclusivity Ends on September 14, 2022
Arkane Studios is a first party Xbox studio now, what with parent company Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax having been acquired by Microsoft (yeah, that's a lot of steps), but the exclusivity deals that Bethesda's studios had in place even with stiff competitors are, of course, going to be honoured. Arkane is currently working on Redfall for Xbox Series X/S and PC, but it's also got a PS5 console exclusive coming up later this year in Deathloop– and now we know exactly when its exclusivity period will end.
Deathloop showed off a meaty chunk of gameplay footage in yesterday's State of Play presentation, and in the video uploaded by the PlayStation YouTube channel, right at the end you can see that the exact timespan of the game's PS5 console exclusivity is mentioned (screencap below). Deathloop is going to be a PS5 console exclusive until "at least" September 14 of next year, exactly a year after its launch. This doesn't come as a surprise, of course, since it's been confirmed in the past that the game's PS5 exclusivity will last for a year, but it's still good to have an exact date nailed down.
Meanwhile, fellow Xbox first party studio Tango Gameworks' GhostWire: Tokyo is also going to be a PS5 console exclusive, and that exclusivity period, too, is going to last for a year.
Baldur's Gate 3 – Patch 5 Coming July 13th, Includes Active Roll System and Background Goals
Larian Studios has announced a release date for the next major patch for Baldur's Gate 3. It's be out on July 13th and contains a myriad of improvements and features, from better AI to more story content. Though the full patch notes will be revealed next week, check out the trailer below to see CEO Swen Vincke noting many of the changes.
Some of the cooler new additions to the gameplay include the Active Roll System. This allows players to use bonuses and spells when performing skill checks to swing RNG in their favor. Modifiers and status effects are also seen in the UI itself. Background Goals are also new and allow for selecting a background – like Folk Hero, Urchin and so on – when creating a character.
These give special mini-quests that they can fulfill for rewards and helps to encourage acting in a manner befitting that character. Camp Supplies introduce some more strategic thinking into rests so all those supplies you've gathered should come in handy. Mini Camps will also crop up and provide a place to rest instead of needing to return to the river camp every time.
Stay tuned for more details on Patch 5 in the coming days. Baldur's Gate 3 is currently available in early access for PC and Google Stadia. It won't fully launch this year and though a 2022 release isn't guaranteed, Larian is working towards the same.
Rainbow Six Extraction Puts the Spotlight on Lion in New Operator Showcase Trailer
Ubisoft have been releasing brief Operator Showcase trailers to put the spotlight on the many operators that will be playable in the upcoming co-op shooter Rainbow Six Extraction, and having focused on Ela, Sledge, and Alibi in previous trailers, they now turn their attention to Lion.
As with previous operators, those who've played Rainbow Six Siege will be familiar with Lion and what he brings to the table. His main unique ability is using his EE-ONE-D drone, which once activated, highlights all moving targets in the vicinity, even through walls. The applications of that can be quite nifty, as you might imagine, and the newest trailer gives us a brief glimpse of that. Take a look below.
Rainbow Six Extraction is launching on September 16 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. You can check out some more co-op gameplay footage from the upcoming shooter through here.
It's always nice to look back on the console generations gone by and marvel at the number of high profile releases each year. This is especially so when looking at 2008 which had excellent follow-ups in established franchises and awesome new IPs. Let's examine 15 of the best games that year along with what made them so great.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Melee served as the series' watershed moment, providing a near-perfect combination of gameplay, graphics and music. Super Smash Bros. Brawl didn't win over everyone with some of its changes (hello, tripping) but it was superior in a number of other aspects. Subspace Emissary is an incredible story-driven mode till this day; the base roster was large and grew even further with the addition of non-Nintendo characters like Solid Snake, Sonic the Hedgehog and Cloud Strife; and the Stage Builder was introduced for creating one's own levels. The Nintendo Wii already had a number of great exclusives but Super Smash Bros. Brawl is definitely one of its finest.
11 Video Game Locations You Never Knew Were Based on Real Life
The amount of work that goes into creating video game worlds can't be overstated and as such, many of them take inspiration from real-world locations. This is done rather obviously in games like Grand Theft Auto 5, L.A. Noire, Sleeping Dogs, and many more. However, some titles are a little less obvious about their inspirations. Let's take a look at 11 video game locations that fit into that category.
Parliament Of Serbia in Belgrade – Half-Life 2
City 17's European-inspired architecture and aesthetics are fairly easy to recognize, though the Overwatch Nexus is perhaps the closest to being based on an actual building. As the main building for the Overwatch forces, the Nexus was formerly a political building before the Combine invaded. It turns out that it's actually inspired by the Parliament of Serbia in Belgrade. The similarities between the two buildings, from their general structure to the opening archway are noteworthy, though the signature dome isn't as defined on the Nexus. Though it's not outright confirmed in-game, browsing through the texture files reveals the word "parliament" which further hints at the inspiration.
16 Things You Need To Know About Samurai Warriors 5
Dynasty Warriors may be the oldest and most famous of the Warriors franchises, but Samurai Warriors is no slouch, either. The series has been around since it made its 2004 debut on the PS2 and Xbox. The newest game in the series, Samurai Warriors 5, releases on July 27th. We recently got to spend a couple hours with a preview build of the game, and got a good idea of how it works. Here's what you need to know about Samurai Warriors 5:
The Story of the First Game, Reimagined
Samurai Warriors 5 is a sequel, but it's also a partial retelling of the original game. It will cover stories that haven't yet been told in the series, including Nobunaga Oda's younger years and his first meeting with Mitsuhide Akechi, as well as famous incidents from the era, including the battle-to-the-death involving the Oda family and the Incident at Honnōji.
A More Limited Focus
While Samurai Warriors 5 is a retelling, it's more limited in focus compared to previous games. It will focus on the events leading up to and including the Honnō-ji Incident. Nobunaga Oda and Mitsuhide Akechi will be the main characters, and their relationship will be a core part of the game. Players will experience the story from both sides as they battle across Sengoku Era Japan.
A Gorgeous Art Style
Samurai Warriors 5 features an absolutely gorgeous and heavily stylized visual style based on traditional Japanese art. The style looks somewhat like cell-shading, and it's incredibly visually appealing, so it's a nice addition that really makes the game pop. You might not expect Samurai Warriors 5 to be a looker, but the characters, environments, and effects are gorgeous.
There are a Ton of Characters
Samurai Warriors 5 features 37 playable characters. 21 of those characters are returning from previous entries in the series, but the other 16 are new. 10 of those characters are support characters, which means they can only play in Free Mode and do not have full movesets. This is less than Samurai Warriors 4's 55 playable characters, but all but one of the returning characters have been completely redesigned.
A Really Good Tutorial Will Teach You Everything
Samurai Warriors 5 starts slow; you only have access to Nobunaga for the first few levels, but the game does a nice job of teaching you everything you can do before giving you new options and characters to play with. Whether you're a series veteran looking to master Samurai Warriors 5's new additions or a newbie trying to learn how musuo games work, you'll be up to speed in no time.
Every Character Can Use Every Weapon
While each character comes equipped with a preferred weapon, they can learn to use any of the ones in the game. That means you can carry over your favorite weapons to whoever you like. There are benefits to using a character's preferred weapon, however, as it unlocks additional moves that are otherwise unavailable.
Stock Experience Is a Godsend
You're naturally going to have your favorite characters, but that doesn't mean that the characters you don't use will be left behind. In addition to the experience that characters get in levels, you also gain stock experience that can be allocated among characters as you see fit. How much experience you get is based on your level score – S, A, B, C, and so on – so there's benefits in getting a high score, because you can upgrade characters faster – even the ones you're not using.
Hyper Attacks Cover Ground and Keep Combos Going
Hyper Attacks are a new addition to Samurai Warriors 5 that allows you to cover ground quickly, keeping a combo alive while rounding up lots of nearby enemies and chaining it into regular attacks to keep the hits coming. Hyper Attacks allow you to chain together combos that wouldn't otherwise be possible, so using them is a necessity if you want to get a high score.
Combine Normal and Power Attacks for Unique Combos
Samurai Warriors 5 isn't a complicated game, but it does have a combo system that offers the player some freedom. Light attacks can be chained into heavy attacks, with the combo performed changing depending on how many hits it is before you finish it off with a heavy attack. Some launch enemies into the air, clear out large groups, act as projectiles, or stun and deliver large amounts of damage. Learning the right combo for each situation is crucial.
Pick Up Some Ultimate Skills
Ultimate Skills are equippable abilities that deplete your gauge but can be used to cancel animations and string together combos that wouldn't otherwise be possible. You can equip four ultimate skills at a time. Ultimate Skills might offer buffs, character specific attacks, combo opportunities, or can even refill your Musuo gauge.
The Musou Gauge Gives You Supers
Filling the Musuo gauge allows you to use a character's Musou attack, which is capable of clearing out huge groups and even boss enemies. While it's tempting to save these, you should spend the meter pretty judiciously. You get it back pretty fast.
Fill the Rage Gauge
In addition to the Musou Gauge, there's also a Rage Gauge. When full, it enhances your speed, power, and other attributes, and gives you access to an incredibly powerful Frenzy Attack if you have the Musou Gauge to spend. It's the single most powerful attack in your arsenal, so use it wisely.
Upgrade, Upgrade, Upgrade
Almost everything in Samurai Warriors 5 can be upgraded: character skills, weapon levels, Castle buildings, weapon abilities, you name it. It's easy to just go from battle to battle, but make sure you spend some time in My Castle to get the most out of your upgrade options.
Team Up With a Partner
Samurai Warriors 5 is co-op, but you can play with another character even if you're playing alone. The game allows you to switch characters on the fly in addition to giving your partner orders, allowing you to continue combos and coordinate attacks. It's a seamless and easy to use system, and offers tactical possibilities you wouldn't have with a single character.
PC Requirements
Thinking of picking up Samurai Warriors 5 on PC? If so, don't worry: the system requirements don't seem too demanding. On minimum settings, you'll need Intel Core i5-4460 or the AMD equivalent, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 / AMD Radeon R7 370, and 6 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, recommended requirements stipulate a an Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 590, and 8 GB of RAM.
Special Editions
In addition to the standard edition, Samurai Warriors 5 will also come in a Digital Deluxe Edition. The Digital Deluxe Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass (which includes Additional Scenario (6 sets) & BGM (6 sets), additional Weapons (5 sets w/ 3 weapons in each set), and 6 additional Horses), several special weapons, a horse, a gem set. and a compact tool.