Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition and Corrupted Horizons DLC Receive New Details
Snapshot Games has provided some new information on the upcoming Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition, the console version of the strategy title which includes all of the DLC. The fourth DLC, Corrupted Horizons, is also included and provides some interesting new mechanics. One is the Corruption effect that can adversely impact a soldier's will.
Fortunately, the new Mutoid unit is immune to the same. It can also combine abilities from multiple classes though it requires Mutagens to create the maintain. As for the Behemoth Edition, the controls and interface have been redesigned to fit consoles (menus are now separated into tabs accessed with the triggers, for example). It runs at 1080/30 FPS on PS4 and Xbox One while PS5 and Xbox Series X players can play at 4K/60 FPS.
Though free upgrades for previous to current gen players are a thing, they will be going live after launch. Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition is out on October 1st for consoles while the Corrupted Horizons DLC arrives on the same day for PC. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.
FIFA 22 Early Access Trial Goes Live Today
EA Sports' FIFA 22 is out worldwide in October but there are plenty of ways to play it early. One such method is to play the early access trial, which goes live today on EA Play. All you need is an EA Play or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
There are some terms and conditions though. Though this is essentially the full game, you can only play it for up to 10 hours. Achievements unlocked during this time and progress made can be transferred over once the game is out worldwide, which is a plus. Subscribers can also avail of a 10 percent discount on all digital content while also accessing lots of full games from the Vault.
FIFA 22 launches on October 1st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Google Stadia, PS5 and PS4 while Nintendo Switch players get access to the Legacy Edition. Those who want to access the full game without a timer can pre-order the Ultimate Edition and gain early access on September 27th.
Marvel's Wolverine – 9 Things We Hope to See in the Game
Even in a show full of announcements and updates for the likes of God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake, and so many more, Marvel's Wolverine was the game that ended up stealing all the headlines. And it's easy to see why- it was by far the most surprising announcement at the show. We all saw the Insomniac Games and Marvel logos one after another and immediately assumed we were about to see something related to Spider-Man– and were proven wrong in the best way possible (though of course, we eventually did end up seeing Spider-Man as well).
Even though all we've really seen of Marvel's Wolverine so far is a very brief CG trailer followed by a title screen for the game, even though it's going to be at least three years (if not more) before we get to play this game- in spite of that, there's no shortage of excitement surrounding the game. Given Insomniac's track record with Marvel and their talent as developers of video games, it's easy to imagine just how excellent a Wolverine game made by them could turn out if done right. Of course, there are certain things that it will need to do right, and to that effect, here, we're going to be talking about a few things that we're hoping we will see in Marvel's Wolverine.
LINEAR STRUCTURE
Insomniac adopted the open world formula for Marvel's Spider-Man, which, of course, was absolutely the right fit for it- the open world traversal is one of the best parts of both those Spider-Man games, after all. But we're hoping Insomniac won't feel the need to stick with that sort of a design approach for all of their games going forward, because a Wolverine game, we feel, would be best if it was linear. Wolverine is a character that's always on the move, and for someone who never stays in one place too long, being restricted to a single open world map would actually end up feeling like a misuse of the character. Ideally, Marvel's Wolverine should be a linear game, littered with larger levels, or perhaps semi-open world hubs, similar to what we've seen in games like God of War, Uncharted 4, and The Last of Us Part 2 in recent years. Constant forward momentum in a meaty, well-paced, linear adventure is can be trickier to achieve, since the story itself has a much more immediate presence than in an open world game, but it's also what would suit Wolverine the best.
VISCERAL COMBAT
This should go without saying. Wolverine isn't exactly a kid-friendly character, especially when compared to someone like Spider-Man. His stories are darker, and more importantly, don't shy away from violence. Adamantium claws and effectively being immortal means Wolverine tears through enemies with brutal efficiency, and that's something that we hope to be able to do ourselves in Insomniac's game. The game's director has confirmed that Marvel's Wolverine will have a "mature tone", which is good news, because this is a game that will flourish when it doesn't have to abide by those restrictions. Insomniac did an excellent job of making Spider-Man's combat feel appropriately zippy and kinetic, so we're hoping the combat in Marvel's Wolverine will have the kind of heft and impact that it should.
MECHANICS
Of course, saying that we want the combat to be "mature" is still a little vague- but there are also specific mechanics that the game could make use of in the game's combat system that we'd actually like to see. For starters, having the ability to manually extend and retract Wolverine's claws could open up some interesting scenarios. Certain enemy types could be more resistant to his adamantium claws, requiring different combat strategies. Maybe players could also pick up objects, weapons, and furniture in the environments to use in combat. It'd also be interesting to have a rage mechanic of sorts. And yes, the 2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine tie-in game already did a lot of this stuff- but hopefully the combat in Insomniac's game will be a little better and little less one-dimensional than that.
DESTRUCTIBLE ENVIRONMENTS
This could be another excellent way to really make the combat shine in Marvel's Wolverine. And honestly, if we're playing as Wolverine, it'd be kind of a bummer if we weren't allowed to completely and utterly wreck environments. It helps, of course, that Marvel's Wolverine is going to be exclusive to the PS5 and not cross-gen, because now, Insomniac can leverage the hardware to make destructible environments an integral part of the game's combat. The reveal trailer at the PlayStation Showcase showed a scene of complete destruction and chaos, and yes, a brief CG reveal trailer for a game isn't exactly representative of what the final game will be- but we're really hoping that Insomniac is looking to have that level of destruction physics and mechanics in the game.
MOVEMENT
Movement and traversal in general probably won't be nearly as emphasized in Marvel's Wolverine as they were in Spider-Man and Miles Morales, but Insomniac can still do a lot of fun stuff with how Wolverine moves around. Sure, he can't swing around on webs, but he can be pretty nimble thanks to his adamantium-reinforced skeleton and the fact that he cannot hurt himself. Naturally, that means that there's plenty of room for Insomniac to get creative with parkour and traversal in the game- which, for a game coming from a studio known for Ratchet and Clank and Spider-Man, is incredibly exciting. Oh, and circling back to destructible environments- that's something that could be made an interesting part of traversal there. If you can't find a way to get past a wall, maybe you could just break the wall.
STEALTH
Wolverine doesn't exactly need stealth, given his abilities, but making stealth an important part of the game's core gameplay loop could be a great way of injecting some variety into the experience. After all, Insomniac can always come up with narrative justifications for why players need to be stealthy- such as having to rescue hostages, or escorting a vulnerable companion character. Besides, Wolverine's abilities are perfectly suited to some slick, brutal stealth gameplay. Combining quick movement, jumps, and brutal melee kills might make for some thrilling stealth scenarios that still manage to retain the inherently aggressive nature of Wolverine's abilities.
HEALTH
This is a big one that anyone attempting to make a Wolverine game would have to deal with. If we're playing as a character who keeps healing himself and cannot die, how will the game ever be challenging. If it isn't challenging, if players aren't punished for playing poorly, then why would anyone ever bother to engage with the mechanics? Insomniac will need to think about this long and hard, and come up with something that is balanced in a way that makes sure players are constantly engaged and appropriately challenged, while still feeling true to Wolverine. That is, of course, way easier said than done, but there are ways to do it. Maybe your health only regenerates at the end of a fight; maybe it does regenerate, but very slowly; maybe enemies can carry weapons that temporarily block your healing. One way or another, the game will need to give players some sort of a handicap, because Wolverine in his purest form is just way too OP.
SKINS
This one, admittedly, isn't as important as some of the other stuff we've spoken about, but it's still a pretty big part of a superhero game. Insomniac did an excellent job of featuring a number of different suits in both Spider-Man and Miles Morales, and frankly, being able to equip various different skins in licensed superhero games has become something of an expectation by now. Wolverine has had quite a few iconic looks over the years, so we're sure there's no shortage of skins for Insomniac to add in the game.
CONNECTIONS WITH SPIDER-MAN
This one might be a bit of a pipe dream, depending on how Insomniac is approaching this game, but we're still hoping it happens. The studio obviously has a really good working relationship with Marvel that is only going to grow stronger, so is it possible that their Wolverine game could end up being set in the same universe as their Spider-Man games, perhaps opening the door for a larger connected universe. Obviously, Marvel's Wolverine should have a self-sufficient story that doesn't rely on its connections to any other games, and Insomniac has confirmed that it is going to be a standalone- but we're still hoping for a few small connections that establish that Insomniac's Marvel games are set in the same universe.
10 New Things We've Learned About Gran Turismo 7
Polyphony Digital may have managed to turn Gran Turismo Sport around into a legitimately good racing sim following its less-than-stellar launch, but series fans are still starved for a more traditional Gran Turismo experience. With Gran Turismo 7 just a few months away from launch, excitement surrounding the game has been ramping up, and recently, Sony gave series fans a lot more to go on, with several new details being released. As such, here, we're going to go over some of the most important details that have been revealed for Gran Turismo 7 in the last few days.
GT CAMPAIGN
Polyphony Digital has been pitching Gran Turismo 7 as a much more traditional GT experience since the moment they first announced it, so it's no surprising that that's the approach the game is taking with its campaign as well. Series producer and Polyphony Digital boss Kazunori Yamauchi says Gran Turismo 7's campaign will "return to the very roots of the GT Campaign mode experience", with the GT World Map, a plethora of locations, and a healthy selection of vehicles to drive.
CAR COLLECTION
Gran Turismo Sport's limited roster of vehicles at launch was one of its most disappointing elements, but Gran Turismo 7 is looking to deliver a much more packed experience right off the bat. According to Yamauchi, Polyphony Digital has "clearly designed" Gran Turismo 7 as a "car collection" game, which means players can expect a large roster, and plenty of avenues to unlock more and more of it. Another crucial aspect of car collection will be GT Cafe, where tackling and completing various missions and races around the world with reward you with different prize cars. Car collection has always been a crucial part of the Gran Turismo experience, so it's good to see it being emphasized so heavily in Gran Turismo 7.
LIVERY EDITOR
The Livery Editor, introduced first in Gran Turismo Sport, is coming back in GT7, and is going to be a much more robust editing tool this time. While exact details on this are yet to be shared (there's still a few months to go before the game launches, after all), we do know that Gran Turismo 7's Livery Editor will have a revamped user interface, improved utility, and better accessibility options. GT Sport's Livery Editor was already a solid and surprisingly expressive tool, so we're curious to see how Polyphony Digital will expand upon it in GT7.
SCAPES
Scapes is one of those new features that won't have any mechanical impact on the gameplay, but you know players will pour a ridiculous amount of time into. Scapes is, in essence, a really fancy photo mode. Players will be able to choose from over 2,500 locations across 43 countries as the backdrop of their photograph, and freely photograph any of the vehicles in the game. According to Polyphony Digital, you should expect photorealistic shots with HDR, panning shots, editing tools, and more. And of course, you will also be able to share any and all photos you take. It would be neat if the PS5 version of Gran Turismo 7 featured ray-tracing support specifically in Scapes, similar to how Forza Horizon 5's Forzavista has ray-tracing on Xbox Series X/S- but Polyphony Digital and Sony haven't mentioned anything about that as of yet.
RETURNING CIRCUITS
It's probably going to be a while before Polyphony Digital and Sony begin talking in detail about the tracks and circuits that'll be available in Gran Turismo 7, but already, they have revealed that at least two tracks from previous games in the series will be making a comeback- Trial Mountain and High Speed Ring, both of which have appeared in basically every mainline Gran Turismo game. According to the developers, both circuits have been remade with greater detail and some tweaks to parts of the layout. They have stressed that they've brought back these circuits "with a level of detail and richness that matches the PS5 consoles' power of expression", so we're curious to see how they'll turn out.
CUSTOMIZATION
Customization is one of the most crucial elements of any racing game, especially a driving simulator, so what can we expect from Gran Turismo 7 in this area? Again, more concrete details will be shared in the weeks and months ahead, but already, we do have some important nuggets of information. GT Auto is coming back, and will have new aerodynamic parts and roll cages, wheel changes, wide body modifications, car wash, engine oil changes, and more. Meanwhile, GT7 will also go back to starting players off with a stock vehicle and then make upgrades and customizations to slowly improve it over time. Everything from performance, suspension, transmissions, brakes, tires, and much more will be customizable, though again, it remains to be seen exactly how much depth they will offer, and how they'll be balanced where progression is concerned.
TIME/WEATHER CHANGES
This is another area where Gran Turismo 7 is making some impressive improvements. Polyphony Digital has apparently collected "a massive amount of meteorological observation data" from "several thousand spots" around the world, using which they've been able to make the simulation of time and weather changes much more seamless and authentic. According to the developer, Gran Turismo 7 will have "real and complex skyscapes and changes in light for different times of day and weather." It remains to be seen how much this will be integrated with gameplay and how drastic we can expect the effects of, say, changing weather conditions to be, but it seems like Gran Turismo 7 is headed in the right direction here.
MULTIPLAYER
We've spoken a lot about Gran Turismo 7 being a much more traditional experience than the online and esports-focused GT Sport, but obviously, that doesn't mean GT7's multiplayer component will be completely pared back. While the exact details of what we can expect from the game here haven't yet been shared, it has been confirmed that Gran Turismo 7 will feature cross-gen multiplayer, allowing PS4 and PS5 players to play with and against each other, with Yamauchi also confirming in a recent Eurogamer interview that both versions of the game will be equal to one another as far as gameplay, mechanics, and content are concerned.
DUALSENSE
Of course, one area where the PS4 and PS5 versions of GT7 won't have parity is in how they'll use their respective console's controllers. On the PS5, GT7 will be using the DualSense's unique features in various ways, from better representation of ABS thanks to the adaptive triggers to increased immersion due to the haptic feedback. In fact, Yamauchi also said in the aforementioned Eurogamer interview that due to the increased precision that the DualSense allows, players "should be able to do everything that you can do on a steering wheel controller with a DualSense controller."
ONLINE REQUIREMENTS
This one is a bit of a bummer, especially given how the excessive online requirements of Gran Turismo Sport were such a big issue back when that game first launched. Gran Turismo 7 is looking to deliver a more traditional and single player experience, but a large number of features and modes in the game will require a persistent internet connection- including Scapes, the Livery Editor, the High-Speed Ring and Trial Mountain circuits, GT Cafe, GT Auto, and, most crucially, the campaign. It's always disappointing when persistent internet connection requirements are imposed on single player content, and it's a shame that it'll be the case in Gran Turismo 7's campaign as well.
15 More Difficult Hack and Slash Games You Need To Experience
For as fun and as powerful as some hack and slash games can make us feel, plenty are designed to punish you. Either through stricter mechanical requirements, tougher enemies and boss fights, or higher difficulties, these 15 titles have no qualms piling on the challenge. Let's take a look at them here.
Nioh 2
The original was tough enough but Nioh 2 dials things up considerably. On top of new mechanics like Burst Counter, which must be timed properly to prevent massive damage from certain attacks and stagger enemies, several new enemy types and bosses will just straight up ruin your day. And this is before venturing into New Game Plus which increases enemy health and damage, adds new moves (and even removes Burst properties from some, meaning they can't be countered), and even Cursed Enemies with status attacks.
Deathloop Guide – How to Find All Pictograms and Spy Hideouts
While investigating a Lead to open a door in Deathloop (it's a long story), you need to travel to Fia's Fortress in Fristad Rock. The objective is to find four Pictograms, which are contained within Fia's art, to then use as a solution for opening the door. There are a few problems though.
Tripping the sensors or having the guards sound an alarm will result in Fia activating the reactor in her fortress. You then have 60 seconds to evacuate, which is a nice way of saying you have to leave the District or start a new Loop. Killing Fia will prevent this from happening though you could also cut the right wire to stop the reactor's meltdown. Either way, it's a good idea to eliminate her and then clear the facility of guards, turrets and so on in order to freely investigate.
The second problem is that the four pictograms required are randomly chosen among the 14 present in the base. You'll receive different clues for each one but it can be a bit infuriating to run around, not knowing where to look. To save some time, let's take a look at all of the pictograms here.
- Pictogram 1: Wants for Power – When entering from the bunker door on top of the cliff, turn right and go down the elevator shaft. Break the logs blocking a room and go through the adjoining window to find a battery on the right table. You'll want to charge it first – use the charger in the room to do so. Upon returning to the elevator shaft, look for a closed door on the right side. It will have a red button and a slot for inserting the battery. Once the battery has been inserted, press the button to open the door. You'll find the pictogram inside.
- Pictogram 2: Adds Colors to Tools and Schema – Remember the room with the battery? Go back and look at the wall to your right near the tables and crates.
- Pictogram 3: Tends the Main Hall – From the door where you found the second pictogram, go down the hallway and look right. The third pictogram will be on the wall.
- Pictogram 4: Marks Fia's Stage Exit – After the third pictogram, look for a path behind a vehicle that goes left and leads to a room. Upon entering, turn around and look the right side wall for the fourth pictogram.
- Pictogram 5: Lubricates the Shaft – Go back to the elevator shaft, either from the bottom or from the bunker door atop the cliff. The fifth pictogram is around the halfway point.
- Pictogram 6: Beneath the Wheeled Behemoth – Go back to the room where you found the first pictogram. Upon exiting the room, look to your right to see a destroyed tank. Just under the tank is a path and you'll find the pictogram at the bottom.
- Pictogram 7: Enlivens the Lockers – Go to the room with the nuclear reactor and look for the bathroom. The seventh pictogram will be inside.
- Pictogram 8 – In the hallway where pictogram 3 is found, go to the right of it. There should be a room on that path where the eighth pictogram is behind a door.
- Pictogram 9 – Opposite of pictogram 3 on the upper floor, there will be door. Go through it and then enter the second window. Pictogram 9 will be on the floor.
- Pictogram 10 – From the same place where you found pictogram 9, simply turn around and then check the wall to the left. The 10th pictogram will be there.
- Pictogram 11: Ogles the Rear Entrance – When entering the fortress through the bunker door at the top of the cliff, check the left wall for the 11th pictogram.
- Pictogram 12: Fia's Shimmering Masterpiece – Located behind the reactor, which is right smack dab in the middle of its room.
- Pictogram 13 – In the room with the reactor, check the left corner and look on the floor. The 13th pictogram will be there.
- Pictogram 14 – From the same place you found pictogram 6, go into the room on the right. Upon entering, turn and look down to the left – there will be a pictogram behind the door.
Check out the video guide below from PowerPyx to see where exactly each pictogram is located.
How to Access All Spy Hideouts
Occasionally while exploring Blackreef's Districts, you may have stumbled upon a locked door. Ringing the doorbell doesn't seem to do anything and there doesn't seem to be any other entrance. But that's not quite the case, at least for one of them.
Essentially, these are hideouts for spies who have been investigating the AEON Program and each has their own specific code. The first hideout in Fristad Rock can be entered through an alternate path in the afternoon or night once the water levels are low enough. Travel left of the tunnel and you should happen upon a door concealed by some wooden planks. Break the planks and there will be a path that leads to the first hideout, the Storm Shelter.
This is essentially the main headquarters for the spies – there's a door here that can only be opened when you have three codes. The location otherwise has an audio log, a Trinket, more information on the Visionaries and the first code. In order to access the two other spy hideouts and obtain the other codes, you have to find their coordinates from a radio broadcast.
The broadcast can only be listened to in the morning but if you go to any of the telephone boots or locate any of the portable radios in any District (the same ones that can be hacked to cause a disruption to distract enemies), then Colt's Hackamajig can be used to tune in. During the broadcast, you'll hear three specific coordinates. To ensure you don't miss them, make sure to have subtitles turned on.
The coordinates in question are M13, H26 and R33, with each followed by a random number. These correspond to Karl's Bay, Updaam and Fristad Rock respectively. The Fristad Rock hideout is the spy HQ that you've already discovered. Updaam's hideout is next to Otto's Fireworks Shop while the Karl's Bay hideout is next to Treasure of the Ice! The random number indicates how many times you have to ring each hideout's doorbell to open it and is unique for each player.
Upon entering the Updaam hideout, you'll find an Exemplar Vopant Trencher along with details on some other Visionaries and the second code. Head to the Karl's Bay hideout and you'll obtain notes on what happened to the spies, an Exemplar PT-Spiker and the third code. With all three codes, return to the spy headquarters in Fristad Rock.
Use each code on the back wall – this will open up a room with two Exemplar Tribunal Pistols, details on various Visionaries and even security codes for Frank Spicer's place and Fia's reactor. You'll even find a code for Gideon Fry's Delivery Service. Again, if you're having trouble finding the spy hideouts, simply refer to the video guide below from xGarbett.
For more details on Deathloop, check out our official review here. You can also check out the best Slabs and which upgrades to use for your play-style here.
Diablo 2: Resurrected Gets Live Action Trailer Featuring Marvel's Shang-Chi Star, Simu Liu
Activision-Blizzard has been in the news a lot lately, and for a lot of less than great reasons. The company has been in the midst of various investigations and allegations, many of which are aimed at the Blizzard side of the company. Regardless, the publisher is still releasing games with one of their most anticipated ones coming later this week, Diablo 2: Resurrected, a remake of the classic RPG. Now we have a special launch trailer, with a very fun surprise.
Blizzard released a live action trailer to celebrate the game's launch. It also happens to feature Simu Liu. You'll probably know that name and face as being from the latest Marvel flick, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Here he portrays a man asking a priest for permission to sin, as he sees the only way to defeat the Lord of Terror is to descend into the darkness himself.
Diablo 2: Resurrected will release on September 23rd for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch and PC. You can check out a more traditional cinematic trailer from earlier through here.
It Looks Like Nintendo Will Reveal a New Switch Controller This Week
Nintendo seems to be gearing up for a new controller reveal for the Switch in the near future. As first spotted by VGC, documents from an FCC filing by Nintendo for a product described simple as "game controller" by Nintendo were recently made public (but are no longer viewable).
Interestingly enough, the documents have been granted short-term confidentiality on all the screenshots and relevant details about the product mentioned in the filing, and that confidentiality will be ending this Friday, September 24- with the assumption, of course, being that whatever the controller is will be announced before then.
There have been some rumours of a Nintendo Direct being planned for September, and Nintendo has traditionally had Directs in September. Multiple leaks have also suggested that Nintendo is going to add Game Boy games to the Nintendo Switch Online library soon, which might also potentially indicate what to expect from this new controller- Nintendo released special edition NES and SNES Joy-cons for the Switch to coincide with the consoles' libraries being adding to Switch Online.
Overwatch Executive Producer is Leaving Blizzard
Blizzard Entertainment's been seeing a lot of upheaval in recent weeks and months, which, of course, is primarily because of the ongoing lawsuit against the company based on allegations of harassment and discrimination against employees, and the fallout of that has resulted in turnover of various leads at the company, for some reason or the other.
As Bloomberg reports, Chacko Sonny – executive producer on Overwatch and its upcoming sequel – is leaving the company as well, though there's little to no indication that his departure is related to the controversies surrounding Blizzard right now. According to Bloomberg, Blizzard employees choosing to remain anonymous have stated that Sonny was a well-respected figure in the company and there wasn't any knowledge of allegations made against him.
Alongside Overwatch 2, fellow upcoming Blizzard title Diablo 4 has also seen some turnover with several creative leads having been let go from the company. Earlier, Blizzard president J. Allen Brack also stepped down from his role and left the company. Recently, Activision Blizzard also hired new people for the Chief People Officer and Chief Creative Officer positions, and Chief Legal Officer Charlie Hart recently resigned.
Alongside the lawsuit against the company, Activision Blizzard is also being investigated by the SEC.
Deathloop Update Addresses Another Issue With The Game's PC Port
A new update to Arkane Studios' latest Deathloop will be addressing a stuttering issue with the game's PC port. Many users have been reporting several stuttering issues with the game, but this update smooths out mouse movement at high framerates.
Of course, fans are still waiting out on a substantial update that fixes stuttering associated with the game's PC port. Arkane has fumbled with PC ports of its games in the past, with similar problems occuring with Dishonored 2 and Prey as well.
Deathloop, however – has been a smash hit for Arkane. Gamingbolt gave the game a 7/10, with a major issue being lacklustre AI and the inherent repitition with the game's concept. The Metacritic score for the game is an 88, and looks to be shaping up to be one of the year's best. Arkane Austin is currently hard at work on Redfall, which will release at an unmentioned date in summer of 2022.