Journey of the Broken Circle Review

Slow down, enjoy the scenery, and take heed of its message.

The post Journey of the Broken Circle Review appeared first on GameSpew.



Twisting Narrative Game SELF is Out Now on Xbox

This unsettling title has made its way to Xbox. 

The post Twisting Narrative Game SELF is Out Now on Xbox appeared first on GameSpew.



Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is Now Available on PS5 and Xbox Series X

Crash on next gen looks as tasty as a wumpa fruit. 

The post Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is Now Available on PS5 and Xbox Series X appeared first on GameSpew.



WRC 9 Review (Switch)

WRC 9 is finally available on Switch and, while there are still serious compromises, it's the best portable rally experience to date.

The post WRC 9 Review (Switch) appeared first on GameSpew.



Cyberpunk Visual Novel Synergia Heads to PS4 Next Week

A new cyberpunk-themed visual novel is on the way. 

The post Cyberpunk Visual Novel Synergia Heads to PS4 Next Week appeared first on GameSpew.



Five Scary Gaming Moments That Still Haunt Us

We all remember our favourite gaming moment.

The post Five Scary Gaming Moments That Still Haunt Us appeared first on GameSpew.



The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos Spills Blood Next Week

The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos, arriving next week, will let you solve a murder or mess it up completely,

The post The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos Spills Blood Next Week appeared first on GameSpew.



Square Enix Will Showcase a New Life is Strange and More

Taking place next Thursday, Square Enix's Showcase will reveal the new Life is Strange game, and more.

The post Square Enix Will Showcase a New Life is Strange and More appeared first on GameSpew.



The Magnificent Trufflepigs Promises Metal Detecting and Romance

Coming to PC this summer, The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a metal detecting game about uncovering trinkets and finding love.

The post The Magnificent Trufflepigs Promises Metal Detecting and Romance appeared first on GameSpew.



Sci-Fi Adventure Beyond a Steel Sky is Coming to Consoles

Beyond a Steel Sky, the sci-fi adventure that graced the PC and Apple Arcade last year, is coming to consoles.

The post Sci-Fi Adventure Beyond a Steel Sky is Coming to Consoles appeared first on GameSpew.



Twenty Bethesda Games Are Available on Xbox Game Pass

Bethesda now has twenty 'iconic' games available on Xbox Game Pass. Does this mean they've added twenty new games to the service? Not quite.

The post Twenty Bethesda Games Are Available on Xbox Game Pass appeared first on GameSpew.



Monster Energy Supercross 4 Review

Monster Energy Supercross 4 brings the series to next-gen consoles, though while there are clear improvements, there are also issues.

The post Monster Energy Supercross 4 Review appeared first on GameSpew.



The Best Indie Games on Switch

You like video games, eh? Indie-d. Get it? Indeed. Indie-d. You know what? Never mind.

The post The Best Indie Games on Switch appeared first on GameSpew.



Borderlands 3 Director's Cut Add-On Has Been Delayed Until April

Originally releasing next week, Borderlands 3's Director's Cut add-on has been pushed back a couple of weeks.

The post Borderlands 3 Director's Cut Add-On Has Been Delayed Until April appeared first on GameSpew.



Out This Summer, A Musical Story is an Audiovisual Journey You Don't Want to Miss

Described as "part rhythm game, part interactive art", Glee-Cheese Studio's A Musical Story is one to watch.

The post Out This Summer, A Musical Story is an Audiovisual Journey You Don't Want to Miss appeared first on GameSpew.



Hunting Simulator 2 Review (Next-Gen)

Hunting Simulator 2 makes the leap to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. But do the improvements make it worth buying yet again? Not really.

The post Hunting Simulator 2 Review (Next-Gen) appeared first on GameSpew.



Check Out These New Details From the Monster Hunter Digital Event

Capcom's Monster Hunter Digital Event has revealed more about the upcoming Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter Stories 2

The post Check Out These New Details From the Monster Hunter Digital Event appeared first on GameSpew.



Bob Help Them is a Cute, Simplistic Time Management Game

Not a lot of people are great at time management. 

The post Bob Help Them is a Cute, Simplistic Time Management Game appeared first on GameSpew.



Build-a-Bear is Launching an Animal Crossing Range

Toy workshop company Build-A-Bear has teased a new Animal Crossing-themed collection.

The post Build-a-Bear is Launching an Animal Crossing Range appeared first on GameSpew.



Rain on Your Parade Makes You a Terrible Cloud

Rain on Your Parade makes you a wedding ruining, picnic soaking pedestrian zapping cloud.

The post Rain on Your Parade Makes You a Terrible Cloud appeared first on GameSpew.



Sony Santa Monica Is Hiring Lead Writer For An Unannounced Title

PlayStation logo

Sony Santa Monica has largely been synonymous with the God of War franchise since the first game released back in 2004. That was reinforced with 2018's God of War that saw huge critical acclaim and sales for the company. The sequel to that game, Raganork, has been announced to come this year (though that seems unlikely at this point), but it's not the only thing the company has cooking up.

On their official Twitter, Santa Monica has put up a listing for a Lead Writer job on a new unannounced project. This actually isn't the first time we've heard of them working on something else, as at the beginning of the year they were also hiring for an Art Director for a title. It's unclear if these job listings are for the same project or not, but it seems likely unless the company is working on a few smaller games alongside Raganork.

Whether this is a new IP or a God of War spin-off is anyone's guess at this point. It's hard to parse how far along a project is without knowing its scope and the nature of game development means people come and go frequently, but with these positions being looked for, the odds are whatever this is is probably a good ways off.


Xbox Game Pass Twitter Teases New Game, Asks About "Mysterious Signal" And "Anomaly"

Xbox Game Pass

It's been something of a big day for the Xbox brand as well as Xbox Game Pass. Bethesda is now officially a part of Microsoft and their games will be slowly added to the service as time goes on. 20, in fact, of their classic catalog came today. But it seems as if there is more coming to the service, and a cryptic email may have you wondering what else is coming soon.

The official Xbox Game Pass Twitter posted an email from the tongue-in-cheek PR leaker Melissa McGamepass. There she talks about a new game confirmed to be coming to the service, not related to the other announcement (presumably meaning the Bethesda announcement). She goes on to ask if anyone else has been hearing a "mysterious signal" and if she is an "anomaly" in that.

As some have pointed out, it seems to be hints towards Outriders, as that game has plot points revealing around finding a mysterious radio signal and a superpower-giving anomaly. However, that comes out April 1st, so it seems somewhat unlikely. But there's not a lot else that matches up with the wording, though it's also possible the wording isn't that important or really hinting at anything specific. For now, it's a mystery.


The Elder Scrolls Online Has Reached Over 18 Million Players

The Elder Scrolls Online - Murkmire

When one thinks of MMORPGs in this day and age, you almost assuredly think of either World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy 14. It's largely a two man show for many in the genre today, but they aren't the only two shows in town, and there is another that's managed to get a pretty sizable audience for itself with The Elder Scrolls Online.

Based on Bethesda's hugely popular fantasy world, Online released in 2014 and has since seen a lot of updates and expansions. As revealed by ZeniMax Online Studios Studio Director Matt Firor at the roundtable discussion regarding the Microsoft purchase of Bethesda (which you can see in full through here), the game has now exceeded 18 million players, and over 3 million of those were from 2020 alone. He also acknowledged that the game had a lot of issues when it originally released, but said they have done a lot to address those problems in the near 7 years the game has been on the market.

The Elder Scrolls Online is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S native versions are also planned, though do not have dates as of now. ZeniMax Online has also stated they are working on a new AAA IP, but as of now no details have emerged about it.


Outriders Demo Gets Update For Matchmaking, Motion Blur Toggle, And More

Outriders

Next month will kick off with the long awaited Outriders from Square Enix and People Can Fly. The game promises lots of aggressive action for both solo and multiplayer play, and you can try it right now if you want. The game has a demo, which has been downloaded and tried out by a lot of people. It's also something the developer has been taken a lot of notes for feedback on, and now we have an update to address some of that.

As you can see below, the team has released an update that looks to tackle a few issues that players had. Maybe top at the list was a motion blur toggle that many will be welcome to have. Alongside that is also some improvements for matchmaking as well as addressing bugs and crash issues some had. Right now the update is only available for the PlayStation and PC versions, but the Xbox versions will be getting the same treatment shortly. You can see the full patch notes below via the game's official Twitter.

Outriders will release April 1st for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Stadia. The demo is available now on all those platforms with the exception of Stadia.


Next Life is Strange Features New Cast and Story, New Power

Next Life is Strange

Square Enix will be announcing the next Life is Strange title on March 18th at its digital showcase. In the meantime, the Steam pages for Life is Strange 1 and 2, and Life is Strange: Before the Storm released a "glimpse" at the next protagonist (see above). A new cast, new story and new power were also promised.

Rumors about the next Life is Strange have been circulated since this past January. Insider Emily Rogers reported that Deck Nine of Before the Storm fame would be working on the sequels since Dontnod and Square Enix parted ways "a long, long time ago." A more recent rumor on ResetEra revealed that the next title would be called Life is Strange: True Colors and that the new protagonist's name is Alex.

Alex's power is apparently about reading minds with characters having different colors showcasing their emotions. It also seems there will be a heavier focus on music than the first game. While the rumor should be taken with a grain of salt, it did note that the sequel would be announced "pretty soon."

Stay tuned for more details next when Square Enix Presents goes live on March 18th at 10 AM PT.


Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time Coming to PC on March 26th

crash bandicoot 4 it's about time

Crash Bandicoot has finally arrived on current-gen consoles with the release of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time on Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Switch. Check out the launch trailer below to see it in action. Thankfully, PC players won't have to wait too long to get their hands on the platformer.

Activision and Toys for Bob have announced that PC version will release on March 26th. It will be exclusively via Battle.net for $39.99. Graphical improvements and PC-exclusive features have yet to be outlined so stay tuned for more details on the same in the coming weeks.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time launched last year for Xbox One and PS4, providing a true sequel to Naughty Dog's original trilogy. It sees Crash, Coco and friends attempting to save the multiverse from Neo Cortex and N. Tropy, utilizing the power of the Quantum Masks along the way. New Flashback Tapes, N. Verted levels and playable characters like Tawna and Neo Cortex are also included. Check out our review for the game here.


Dying Light 2 Developer Update Announced for March 17th

dying light 2

Techland has announced a developer update for Dying Light 2. It will take place on March 17th and those who join the game's Discord can see it first. The official tweet didn't show much else, except what seems to be a Volatile emerging from the shadow.

Dying Light 2 has had its share of problems ever since its delay last year. Reports emerged of the game's development being in disarray while writer Chris Avellone was dropped due to sexual harassment allegations. Narrative designer Pawel Selinger would also leave the company in January, following which another report detailed the apparent mismanagement of the studio and its lack of direction on Dying Light 2.

The game is currently in development for Xbox One, PS4 and PC but will also be coming Xbox Series X/S and PS5. With the Collector's Edition being previously leaked, perhaps there will be a new release window or gameplay footage. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.


Nintendo Switch Leads US Hardware Charts Amid Record February Sales

nintendo switch

February 2021 has been very good for Nintendo with the company having the best-selling title of the month with Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and the Switch topping hardware charts again. However, it was a strong month for video game hardware sales in general. Sales were at $406 million, which is a 121 percent increase compared to last year.

As noted by NPD analyst Mat Piscatella to VentureBeat, "This is the highest total for a February month since the $468 million reached in February 2011. Year-to-date hardware spending totaled $724 million, an increase of 130% compared to a year ago." The Switch conquered in terms of unit and dollar sales for the month while also being the highest for any platform in the month's history since February 2009 with the Wii.

In terms of lifetime dollar sales, the Switch has already surpassed the Nintendo DS and ranks as the overall seventh best-selling platform. It's also the company's second best-selling platform in US history. Despite Nintendo having the advantage with its established supply chain, the PlayStation 5 still performed very well. It ranked second in unit and dollar sales for February 2021 and through its four-month period, it's already the fastest selling platform in US history.


Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Tops US Charts in February – NPD Group

super mario 3d world + bowser's fury

The NPD Group has released its February 2021 report on video game spending in the United States. In the software category, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury was the best-selling title for the month, taking the number one spot over Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella revealed (via VentureBeat) that despite Nintendo titles not having their digital sales tracked, the Switch exclusive is already the second best-selling title of 2021 year-to-date.

A surprising success in February was Tarsier's Little Nightmares 2. It debuted at sixth place in the charts while also being the fifth best-selling title for Xbox (10th for PlayStation). Then there's Persona 5 Strikers which debuted in third place on the overall top 20 and ranked as the third best-selling PlayStation title for the month. The action RPG is also the ninth best-selling game of 2021 year-to-date.

Check out the full top 20 below, which is ranked on dollar sales. Overall consumer spending for the month was very good, reaching $4.6 billion (a 35 percent increase over the same period last year). Stay tuned for more details on US video game hardware sales shortly.

  1. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury*
  2. Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War
  3. Persona 5: Strikers
  4. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  5. Madden NFL 21
  6. Little Nightmares 2
  7. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
  8. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe*
  9. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
  10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  11. FIFA 21
  12. NBA 2K21*
  13. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
  14. Mortal Kombat 11
  15. Super Mario 3D All-Stars*
  16. Ring Fit Adventure*
  17. Just Dance 2021
  18. Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition
  19. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
  20. Immortals: Fenyx Rising

*Digital sales not included


Microsoft Will Allegedly Make "Big Announcements" Across April, May, and June

xbox series x xbox series s

With all of Bethesda now officially part of Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft's increasingly impressive first party portfolio is looking better than ever- all of which is to say that fans are anticipating some big announcements from the platform holder in the coming months and years. Microsoft recently confirmed that it's planning an event in the Summer where more Bethesda-related news will be shared, but reports from insiders are suggesting that they might have much more up their sleeves for the coming months.

For starters, as per a report published by Windows Central's Jez Corden, Microsoft could be planning an event for late March – March 26, to be precise – that "may be a tech and platform-oriented event with some smaller game announcements."

However, it seems as if the coming few months are going to be dotted with numerous announcements big and small- the latter more than the former, it seems. Windows Central executive editor Daniel Rubino recently also took to Twitter to claim that across all of April, May, and June, Microsoft will be making several "big announcements". Rather than having it all focused in one big central event, it seems Microsoft will instead go with several smaller events in order to build momentum over a sustained period of time.

Some recent reports have also claimed that Microsoft and Bethesda will both be present at E3, and in spite of the recent acquisition, both will still have separate E3 conferences. With Xbox seemingly getting more games in 2021 that are yet to be announced, it wouldn't be surprising to see announcements spread out across the coming months.

That said, as is always the case with leaks, it's best to take this with a grain of salt for now. Especially seeing as we're still in the midst of a pandemic where plans always seem to be shifting, it's hard to be too sure about anything that could happen in the coming months. Stay tuned, and we'll keep you updated.


Apex Legends March 12 Update – No-Fill Players, Heat Shields, and Ring Fury Stage 2

Apex Legends Chinatown

This week was a big one for fans of Apex Legends. The start of the Chaos Theory Collection event and the launch of the Switch port has given fans plenty to talk about. 

Between character nerfs, weapon rebalances, and the newest game modes, the developers at Respawn Entertainment are juggling quite a bit.

Today, they shipped a patch that hopefully balances the game better with all of the new changes and additions.

Here's everything you need to know about the March 12 Apex update.

  • NERFED: Apex Legends Mastiff Update – Chaos Theory Weapon Changes Explained
Apex Legends Chaos Theory Collection Event

Photo from the official Apex Legends YouTube page

Apex March 12 Update

The update was delivered to us today in the form of a small Twitter thread. It is significantly smaller than the massive Chaos Theory update, but it still seems like it should help rebalance the game.

"No-Fill" Players

Added earlier this week, players now have the option to drop solo, by unchecking the "no-fill" box before the start of a match. Respawn said today that matches will now be limited to only two "no-fill" players. They said in their tweet, "This is a temporary measure while we solve a problem that was causing games to start with fewer than 60 players."

Heat Shields

The newly introduced heat shields are being taken out of ranked and private matches until "further notice." It's unclear specifically why they've been disabled by Respawn other than their tweet citing some necessary bug fixes. They say that they're hoping to "fix some bugs with it by early next week, for those using it in the Ring Fury Takeover playlist."

Ring Fury Stage 2

Another small change to the game's playlists comes in the form of an extension to Ring Fury Stage 2. It will be around until Monday, to seemingly make up for any lost playtime due to the heat shield changes.

Apex Tracker

The final dev update has nothing to do with the actual software of the game. The changes listed above are the only things being altered in the Apex March 12 update. In the final tweet of the thread, Respawn updated their "Apex Tracker" Trello account that helps give the community a voice. They asked for feedback saying that they "would love to know if people find it valuable—if so, we'll make it more of a regular (weekly) thing."

The post Apex Legends March 12 Update – No-Fill Players, Heat Shields, and Ring Fury Stage 2 by Peter Hunt Szpytek appeared first on DualShockers.


Hyper Scape Season 3 Patch Notes – Neo Arcadia 2.0, Weapon Rebalance, and Playlist Updates

Hyper Scape

Hyper Scape is Ubisoft's entry into the battle royale genre. Launching in 2020, the game has seen some major updates, and now today, the launch of Hyper Scape Season 3.

The market for free-to-play battle royale shooters is pretty saturated. With plenty of games coming out trying to capitalize on the success of hits like FortniteWarzone, and Apex Legends, Ubisoft had high hopes for Hyper Scape.

Despite the game's success not being as wide-spread as Ubisoft had hoped, it's still receiving a big update for Hyper Scape Season 3.

  • MORE UBISOFTFor Honor Year 5: Asunder Update Date, Time, New Heroes, and Battle Pass
for honor update time

For Honor Year 5

Hyper Scape Season 3 Patch Notes

Hyper Scape Season 3 is launching with some pretty big changes to the game. The update went live today, so here's the list of patch notes from the official Hyper Scape website:

KEY NEW FEATURES

neo arcadia 2.0

Hyper Scape Season 3 introduces Neo Arcadia 2.0, a bigger, fully redesigned map with new key landmarks, more diversified terrain and more identifiable zones for players to traverse. Each area has its own personality and story to tell. Neo Arcadia 2.0 will challenge our veteran players to keep up the pace with newcomers jumping into it for the first time.

Main features:

  • More open spaces and variety in the combat encounters with other players.
  • More variety across the world and zones. Each zone feels different and offer a different gameplay style.
  • Chests now spawn 100% of the time and loot can now also be found outside of buildings to adjust to the bigger open areas that you'll find in the map.
  • Loot and zone closing are adapted for all game modes. Overall loot density has been increased compared to the previous patch, to return to the usual density experienced before.

new hack: firewall

The Firewall is a new deployable Hack with strong offensive and defensive capacities. Activating your Firewall hack creates a barrier that will block incoming enemy fire until destroyed, while still allowing you and your allies (squad & team) to shoot through.

This Hack will be available in all game modes.

new end of match menu

Season 3 introduces a new 2D Hub Flow in the main menu accessible after completing a match and should offer a faster and more interactive experience. The new menu uses a tab structure to quickly access several key areas of the game while waiting for the next match or for your squad and friends to join.

The following tabs can be accessed from this new menu between matches, without having to return to the Hyper Scape HUB:

  • Play — Change your selected game mode, view Challenges, invite a friend and view profile & stats.
  • Battle Pass — View your progress, inspect items and buy the Battle Pass or tiers.
  • Rank — View your current ranking, top 10 ranked matches and seasonal ranking stats.
  • Shop — Claim the Daily Gift, visit the Daily & Weekly Shop and buy Bitcrowns.
  • Locker — You can now access your Locker to check newly unlocked content, and customize the look of your Champion, weapons and more in between matches!
  • Memories — Read the lore and backstory of the Champions of Hyper Scape via the Memory Shards.

In addition, players will now be able to stay in the Post-Match results pages for as long as they would like. Browse your Scoring Cards from your last match, check in on your Challenges progressed or completed, and view changes made to your Ranking. The following tabs will now appear in the Post-Match results:

  • Scoring
  • Challenges
  • Ranking

new 100-tier battle pass & customization category — weapon charms

Season 3 is introducing a brand new 100-tier Battle Pass and a new customization category called Charms that you can attach to your weapon. These can be obtained from the Daily Shop and the new Battle Pass and can be equipped from the Locker.

infinite battle pass leveling

You can now Level Up past Level 100 by continuing to earn Battle Points from Scoring Cards, Completed Challenges, Twitch Crown Cast and opening Daily Gifts. Levels beyond 100 will not unlock content and are for personal fame only. Your Level will appear on your nameplates, kill card and profile so you can brag about it!

WEAPONS

Based on multiple feedback from the community we decided to adjust some of the most polarizing weapons that were too dominant or generated some recurring frustration.

We also brought some reductions in term of aim-assist mechanics: Alongside per weapon changes, we've reduced the size of the "head" volume used by our bullet magnet system to remove confusion between body and headshots. The controller adhesion has been further reduced to promote a fairer experience when Controller and Keyboard & Mouse players are playing together. Controller players still get adhesion to help their crosshair stay on a target while they're aiming with a controller

atrax

  • Decreased Explosion Area of Effect to 4.5R (previously 5.5R)

d-tap

  • Decreased Damage across Fusion to 8/8/8/8/10 (previously 10/10/10/10/12)

harpy

  • Decreased Bullet Magnet range

komodo

  • Decreased Damage across Fusion to 29/29/29/29/34 (previously 32/32/32/32/37)
  • Decreased Explosion Area of Effect to 3.5R (previously 4R)

mammoth mark i

  • Decreased Damage across Fusion to 4/4/4/4/5 (previously 5/5/5/5/6)

ripper

  • Decreased Bullet Magnet range

GAME MODES

game modes playlist

Starting with Season 3, Hyper Scape's Game Modes will be restructured to feature the 3 fan-favorite Game Mode Tiles at all time:

  • Crown Rush Squad — 60 players, Ranked
  • Crown Rush Solo — 60 players, Unranked
  • Team Deathmatch — 6v6, Unranked

team deathmatch updates

  • All loot will now be fully fused from the start of the match. This change also applies to the weapon and Hack you start with.
  • We've improved the level design and art for the three TDM maps:
    • Foundry
    • Hillside
    • Bus Depot
  • Improved respawn randomness (you will be less likely to respawn in the same place twice in a row)
  • Barks were added to specify the time remaining in a match
  • Unified and changed the UI colors and behaviors of the Match Feed widget, the TDM Scoreboard and squadmate colors:
    • Your team will always be the Blue team
    • You will always be fighting against the Red Team

arcadium updates

Arcadium, our free roam game mode, is receiving another batch of improvements and updates:

  • Explore the new Neo Arcadia map with more than 200+ patrolling drones and bots across the map
    • These drones will have red trails to make them more visible
  • Elimination sequence was changed to pod re-deployment instead of instant respawn
  • Navigation pickups have been removed
  • Squad text and voice chat is now supported
  • Weapons and Hacks loot will now quickly respawn at the Red Tiger landmark, for easier gearing up.

 

COMBAT SYSTEMS

shooters on compass

Nearby enemy contenders will now be briefly displayed on the compass when shooting (up to 130m from you).

Developer NotesThis should make it easier to identify threats during heated fights or spot hidden shooters.

improved damage and hit feedback

  • We have improved both VFX and sound feedbacks while engaging enemies in combat.

improved legibility of enemy health bars

  • Enemy health bars are now more differentiable between allies and enemies

dynamic ui opacity

We've added a new behavior to reduce the opacity of certain UI elements near the reticle of the players in order to declutter their view, both in Hip-Fire and ADS (including squadmate nameplates like in the screenshot above, ping markers and more).

improved color blindness filter logic

  • Modified the behavior of the colorblindness modes through a "contrast change" logic instead of trying to translate what color blinded people could see compared to non-color blinded people

OTHER SYSTEMS

reduced lobby waiting time

  • We have significantly reduced much of the wait time previously spent waiting in the Lobby so matches will now start much faster once a match has been found
  • A 10-second countdown will appear as soon as all players are loaded into the game.

loaded player count in lobby

  • A widget which displays the total number of players found for the upcoming match will appear with the following information:
    • Number of players currently loaded
    • Total number of players found for match
  • As soon as all players found have successfully loaded into the Lobby, the 10-second countdown to match start will begin

improved manual data center matchmaking

  • Overriding a Data Center will now only search within the specified data center
    • As a result, the Activity Levels and Estimated Matchmaking Times will be more consistent.

Developer Notes**: This was done to help clarify how the system works as previously players would override to West Europe, but it would expand to include Eastern US, as an example. Note that the default "Automatic" will continue to expand its search in all data centers to find you a match.

new "memory shards" challenge section

New Challenges have been added that will run until the end of the season. Memory Shards will only be obtainable via these challenges now.

Developer NotesThis addition was done to allow players to unlock weekly memories in Team Deathmatch modes, and prevent issues with pre-closing of zones hiding collectibles.

daily gift

  • The following have been added to the Daily Gift:
    • 3 new items added to the Regular Daily Gift
    • 10 new items added to the Special Daily Gift

TWITCH CROWNCAST

invitational squad blacklisting feature

  • You will now be able to blacklist specific viewers from joining your matches. These viewers will receive a notification telling them they've been blacklisted.

QUALITY-OF-LIFE

browse hub portals while matchmaking

  • If you are in the Play portal and select a game mode, you will now be able to return to the Hyper Scape HUB while waiting for the matchmaking to progress. This will allow players to visit portals, check their progress, read through the lore and browse the current offers while they wait for their loading to start.Here are some examples of what will now be possible while you wait for the matchmaking to progress:
  • Read the lore and backstory of the Hyper Scape Champions in the Hall of Champions.
  • View Profile, Stats and Ranking.
  • Read the latest News on all things Hyper Scape
  • Claim your Daily Gift
  • Browse, inspect and buy items in the Shop
  • View Battle Pass progression or buy the Battle Pass

improved marketplace experience

  • The Bundles tab was polished in many areas to improve the user experience
  • A celebration was added when purchasing a bundle
  • Original prices on tiles are now more visible

BUG FIXES

online

  • Fixed an issue where some matches would take a very long time to start in Lobbies.
  • Fixed an issue where the "Find another match" option would lead to the Data Center option being set to "Automatic" again.
  • Fixed an issue where the estimated time displayed in the "Matchmaking widget" was inaccurate when looking for a match.

ui

  • Fixed an issue where the reticle of the Skybreaker was absent if players shot multiple times while aiming-down sights the entire time or entered ADS during or right after the reload animation.

general

  • Fixed multiple crashes and improved the general stability of the game.

  • Fixed an issue on PS4 where the game would crash if no user was found with the controller port 0 when pressing a button on the game start screen.

The post Hyper Scape Season 3 Patch Notes – Neo Arcadia 2.0, Weapon Rebalance, and Playlist Updates by Peter Hunt Szpytek appeared first on DualShockers.


God of War: Fallen God #1 – Where to Read the First Issue

God of War Fallen God issue #1 is finally out and we're ready to get our hands on it.

The time between God of War III and 2018's God of War is something of a mystery. That is, it was a mystery until now.

The first issue of the Dark Horse comic, God of War: Fallen God is out and hopes to bridge the gap between the two games.

Here's where you can find God of War: Fallen God #1:

  • LEAK: Are God of War and Ghost of Tsushima Headed to PC? Leaker Says Yes

Where to Read

Released yesterday, God of War: Fallen God is published by Dark Horse comics. You can find it digitally on the Dark Horse app, or you can purchase it in browser on their website right here. The first issue costs $3.99 digitally. For a print copy, you can order it from Things From Another World right here. The print copy is currently 20% off at the current time of writing, March 11, and is only $3.19. At full price, it costs $3.99.

More God of War Comics

Fallen God #1 is the first issue in a four-part series. The second issue is set to release next month on April 7 and you can expect issue three to come out on May 5. There is currently no way to preorder the next issues, but luckily you won't have to wait long for them to release.

God of War (2018) Review

You can find our full review of God of War right here. Reviewer Giuseppe Nelva wrote in his 10 out of 10 review, "Ultimately, God of War is the perfect example of how it's possible to revolutionize a beloved series while improving it massively, in a way that does not feel unnatural."

You can find any and all God of War coverage right here on DualShockers.

The post God of War: Fallen God #1 – Where to Read the First Issue by Peter Hunt Szpytek appeared first on DualShockers.


Genshin Impact Fans in China Have Gone KFC Crazy – Late Night Banquet!

Genshin Impact KFC China collab queue mihoyo pc ps4 ps5 switch 1

You know you haven't seen the final form of Genshin Impact yet when witnessing these photos – several fans in China are currently queuing overnight, from March 12 to 13, to try and get a chance to bring home the exclusive KFC collaboration badges featuring Noelle and Diluc. Multiple photos of queues at various KFC restaurants are being shared on Weibo and the Japanese side of Twitter.

Genshin Impact launched the KFC collaboration in China on March 8, and the event will last until March 21, 2021. However, starting March 13, the exclusive Genshin Impact KFC badges featuring Noelle and Diluc will be obtainable, and in limited quantities. Moreover, the badges can only be obtained until March 14 included. Fans only have two days to try their luck.

  • LEAKS – New details on the 1.4 Invitation of Windblume dungeon

In order to get the Diluc and Noelle can badges with their meal, Chinese Genshin Impact fans need to ask for it while ordering. Daniel Ahmad also shared a video on Twitter:

Several photos of the huge queues formed for the Genshin KFC Diluc and Noelle pins  shared on China and Japan social media:

Genshin Impact KFC China collab queue mihoyo pc ps4 ps5 switch 3

For example, the KFC restaurant holding the event at the city of Xi'an will only be distributing 90 set of badges. That's 180 badges in total. The photo above from Weibo, China's most popular social media, depicts the queue in front of the restaurant at the beginning of the night. There were already 200 fans queuing according to the Weibo user who took the photo.

Genshin Impact KFC China collab queue mihoyo pc ps4 ps5 switch 1 Genshin Impact KFC China collab queue mihoyo pc ps4 ps5 switch 2 Genshin Impact KFC China collab queue mihoyo pc ps4 ps5 switch 8

The photos above depict the queue at the KFC restaurant holding the event in Chengdu. Capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province. According to a Bilibli user, who shared the pictures above and live streamed the queue for a few moments, there were over 400 fans nearing midnight local time.

Genshin Impact KFC China collab queue mihoyo pc ps4 ps5 switch 6 Genshin Impact KFC China collab queue mihoyo pc ps4 ps5 switch 5 Genshin Impact KFC China collab queue mihoyo pc ps4 ps5 switch 4

More photos of queues of Genshin Impact fans forming in front of KFC stores from unspecified locations.

miHoYo previously announced that the exclusive KFC glide skin, available only on Chinese Genshin Impact servers at the moment, will be available on the Global servers some point in July 2021. We'll be sure to tell you when and how to get them once the KFC glider launches.

miHoYo did not announce the Diluc and Noelle skins will actually be added to the game. The company in the past teased a costume system however; meaning they could be implemented someday.

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open world action JRPG, available on PC, PS4, PS5 via backward compatibility, and Mobile. The game was also announced on Switch, but has no release date on the platform yet. Ver 1.4 Invitation of Windblume will launch on March 17.

The post Genshin Impact Fans in China Have Gone KFC Crazy – Late Night Banquet! by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.


Which Bethesda Games Are Multiplayer? Xbox Game Pass Analysis

In the Bethesda roundtable livestream yesterday, Microsoft announced that they would be bringing 20 classic Bethesda games to the Game Pass subscription service.

As it seems like the COVID-19 pandemic is beginning to wrap up (sometimes I feel like if I say that enough it will be true), gamers are looking for new multiplayer games to try.

We're still a ways out from being able to congregate and enjoy games together in the same room, so here's a look at which Bethesda games have Game Pass multiplayer modes.

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Multiplayer Game Pass Games

The list of Game Pass multiplayer games is pretty slim when compared to the large array of single-player experiences. The new Bethesda additions aren't going to tip that scale in a new direction either. Here are the three multiplayer Bethesda Game Pass games:

Fallout 76

The Elder Scrolls Online

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

While the short length of the list is certainly disappointing for co-op fans, what's potentially even more disappointing is that all three of those games were already on the service.

Single-player Game Pass Games

The other games on this list are pretty self-explanatory. They're all the games that have no co-op features that are being introduced to the service:

Dishonored Definitive Edition

Dishonored 2

Doom (1993)

Doom II

Doom 3 

Doom 64

Doom Eternal

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition 

The Evil Within 

Fallout 4

Fallout: New Vegas

Prey

Rage 2

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

Looking at this list of titles, however, it's hard to be disappointed in any of these games. Bethesda as a publisher and developer isn't particularly known for its multiplayer experiences, so the fact that the large majority of the games headed to the service are single-player doesn't come as much of a surprise.

The post Which Bethesda Games Are Multiplayer? Xbox Game Pass Analysis by Peter Hunt Szpytek appeared first on DualShockers.


Pokemon GO Incense Event Day March 2021 – Date, Start Time, Schedule and Shiny Pokemon

Pokemon GO Incense Event Day March 2021

Currently, it seems like there is a brand new event in Pokemon GO every two or three days, thanks to the Season of Legends.

Over the course of March, we've had a large volume of raid boss changes, Fletchling Community Day, the Searching for Legends event, Drowzee Spotlight Hour and so, so much more.

That doesn't seem to be slowing down either, as recently announced, we have a new Incense Day coming to Pokemon GO very soon. This time out, the theme will be focused on both Steel and Psychic-type Pokemon.

Here are all the details you need for that Pokemon GO Incense Day – March 2021.

  • RAID HELPIncarnate Forme Thundurus Pokemon GO Raid Guide

What is the time and date of the March 2021 Pokemon GO Incense Day?

The event takes place this coming Sunday, March 14. It's due to kick off at 11 am local time and will run through until 5 pm local time.

What is the full schedule of the event?

The schedule of the raid day looks as follows:

  • From 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. local time: Psychic-type Pokemon
  • From 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. local time: Steel-type Pokemon
  • From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time: Psychic-type Pokemon
  • From 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time: Steel-type Pokemon
  • From 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time: Psychic-type Pokemon
  • From 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time: Steel-type Pokemon

What Pokemon will be available during this event?

During the Psychic hours, players will have the opportunity to encounter and capture Pokemon that include the following – Baltoy, Girafarig, Meditite, Munna and Natu. Of those, Baltoy, Meditite and Natu can all appear as Shiny Pokemon.

The Steel hours will offer players a different batch of Pokemon, they include – Alolan Diglett, Aron, Bronzor, Magnemite and Sheildon of which Alolan Diglett, Aron, Bronzor and Magnemite can all be shiny.

Appearing across both hours is none other than Beldum. Beldum can be shiny and if evolved to Metagross during the event can learn Meteor Mash, a very meta-relevant move.

The post Pokemon GO Incense Event Day March 2021 – Date, Start Time, Schedule and Shiny Pokemon by Sam Woods appeared first on DualShockers.


Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Update March 12 – What Three Bugs Are Fixed?

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Progression System and Mission Structure

Ubisoft games are notorious for their bug-ey launches and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla was not an exception.

Even the most die-hard Assassin's Creed fans can recognize that the bugs in a lot of the entries in the series are, at times, pretty in your face. Literally.

It doesn't make them bad games, in fact, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla was near the top of my 2020 Game of the Year list, it just means that they sometimes need extra care and attention. Here's the full list of hotfixes in the AC March 12 update.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Hotfix Notes

Posted to the official Assassin's Creed Ubisoft forums, today's update fixes three common bugs. Here are the notes in full:

We deployed three server-side hotfixes to address the following issues:

  • Unable to proceed with Rock of Fertility world event 
    • Cannot interact with NPC
  • Unable to proceed with The Reeve of Winchester 
    • Cannot interact with Goodwin after escorting him to safety
  • Unable to proceed with Island of Eels 
    • Cannot interact with Soma

If you are unable to progress with the respective quests after launching and loading the save game, please follow the below steps:

  1. Create a manual save
  2. Close the game entirely, then launch it again
  3. Load the created save
  4. You should now be able to proceed with the respective quest

Important: If you reload the game before proceeding with the respective quest, you'll have to relaunch the game application before being able to proceed with the quest.

Note: We're also working on more permanent solutions.

More Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Cosplayers are no strangers to the world of Assassins and Templars. Check out this incredible Eivor cosplay by Taryn. You can find any and all of our future Assassin's Creed Valhalla coverage if you stick right here on DualShockers.

The post Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Update March 12 – What Three Bugs Are Fixed? by Peter Hunt Szpytek appeared first on DualShockers.


Genshin Impact 1.4 Leak: Abyss and Windblume Event Dungeon Leaked

genshin impact 1.4 dungeon leak

miHoYo's free-to-play Action-RPG Genshin Impact is arguably one of the hottest properties in the whole of the video game world right now.

The game is currently available on mobile devices as well as the PS4 and PS5 and has attracted millions of players from across the planet.

Genshin is constantly adding new updates and events to keep things fresh. Currently, details are starting to emerge/leak about the game's next major update, version 1.4.

The latest leak comes courtesy of prominent Genshin Impact leaker @HoneyDodogama over on Twitter and contains details on two dungeons from the next update. Here are all the details we have from the Genshin Impact 1.4 dungeon leak.

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Genshin Impact 1.4 dungeon leak details

The first leak is related to the Windblume event and can be found below:

The quest originates in Mondstadt and teases that players will "face three random challenges in which they will stand the test of powerful opponents." The dungeon has a recommended level of 36 and will possibly yield a "Peculiar Collab Coupon" for anybody who overcomes it.

The second dungeon carries a slightly lower recommended level of 28 and begins in Liyue. It also recommends players use the Cryo element within the dungeon.

This quest gives a little less away about the completion conditions but has multiple versions of the same dungeon, one for each of the protagonist's possible genders. Upon completion, players may earn Adventurers Experience x2, Mystic Enhancement Ore x2, and/or Mora x10,000.

This is as much detail as the leaks hold. Although Honey is a renowned/reliable dataminer within Genshin, these things should always be taken with a pinch of salt until confirmed by miHoYo.

What else is coming in 1.4?

There have been lots of leaks, information and hints about changes that are coming in Genshin Impact 1.4. These have included changes to Artifact Ascension items, the achievements and information on Venessa.

It's also been confirmed that Rosaria is being added as a new character, there are tons of new weapons and items and the Venti banner is getting a rerun.

When is Genshin Impact 1.4 available? What follows that?

Pre-install for the latest version of Genshin Impact will begin on March 14 or 15, depending on where you live in the world. Following the pre-install, the full version launches on March 17, and, providing you've done the pre-install, will be available straight away.

Following Genshin 1.4, we will have Genshin Impact 1.5 and interestingly enough, details have already started to surface about that. Keep your eyes peeled on DualShockers for all your Genshin Impact news.

The post Genshin Impact 1.4 Leak: Abyss and Windblume Event Dungeon Leaked by Sam Woods appeared first on DualShockers.


Halo: Infinite – Will The Yonhet Be Part of the Covenant?

Halo Infinite Yohnet

As Halo Infinite draws ever closer (at least, I hope–there's still no set release date) 343 Industries keeps giving us more glimpses. Today it was the Yonhet.

After Microsoft made the smart decision to delay Halo Infinite into this year, they have been working on ways to keep the game in people's heads.

Through social media posts, community updates, and putting Master Chief in Fortnite, Microsoft is definitely moving in the right direction in terms of reminding people that the game exists.

Today, the official Halo Twitter account posted an image of the Yonhet. So here's everything you need to know about the alien race in the Halo universe.

 

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Who are the Yonhet?

The Yonhet are one of the more obscure alien races in the Halo universe. First introduced in issue #11 of the comic Halo: Escalation, the Yonhet have not had a lot of screen time. In fact, if you've only played the games, you might not even know they exist at all, as they've only been briefly mentioned in Halo 5.

Originating in a small moon on the far borders of the Covenant Empire, the Yonhet are primarily known for relic hunting. Despite their interest in Forerunner relics, they aren't considered to be militarily viable by the Covenant so they've never been a part of their wider army in any combat setting.

Will the Yonhet be a part of the Covenant in Halo Infinite?

It's hard to tell just what role exactly the Yonhet will have in Halo Infinite, as there's still not a whole lot we know about them. That may be intentional so we can be surprised in Infinite, but as mentioned above, the Covenant has never seen them as having any sort of military prowess so it's hard to imagine that recruitment would start now.

As each entry in the Halo franchise seems to continue focusing on the Forerunners, I wouldn't count the Yonhet out of Halo Infinite just because the Covenant doesn't want them. They might show up as an unaffiliated third party looking for Forerunner relics on their own.

The post Halo: Infinite – Will The Yonhet Be Part of the Covenant? by Peter Hunt Szpytek appeared first on DualShockers.


Outriders Demo Update, March 12 – PS4, PS5 and Steam Full Patch Notes

outriders demo update march 12

Outriders is set to be one of April's biggest titles, and arguably one of the biggest games in the first half of this year.

The co-operative RPG is being developed by People Can Fly and published by none other than Square Enix.

Right now, ahead of its imminent launch, the game is undergoing a demo across PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X and PC (via Steam). The demo is being monitored and updated as and when the team need to.

Today, the demo has received a new patch on PC, PS4 and PS5 (Xbox patch is undergoing testing). Here are all the details you need for the Outriders demo update on March 12.

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Outriders Demo Update Overview

While today's update doesn't fundamentally change the game, there is still plenty for players to be happy about as a variety of niggly bugs and issues appear to now have been resolved.

Outriders Demo Update Patch Notes – March 12

The full patch notes are as follows for today's Outriders demo update:

– Added a Motion Blur Toggle [PC, PS4/5]
– Made minor tweaks to frame rate output for certain items in cutscenes, however, we are working on a more comprehensive fix for the future [PC, PS4/5]
– Made improvements to cut down on the time it takes to Matchmake [PC, PS4/5]
– Made other minor improvements and fixes [PC, PS4/5]

Additional PC Specific Patch Notes:
– Fixed a crash that repeatedly occurred when opening the menu or inventory [PC]
– Fixed a bug that deletes player gear if their connection drops out during a transition [PC]
– Improved subtitle display and synchronization during the "Bad Day" quest [PC]

Additional PS4/PS5 Specific Patch Notes:
– Fixed store links on the "Buy Now" button in the Lobby [PS4/5]
– Fixed bug that was causing an audio desynchronization in cutscenes [PS4/5]

What's next for the Outriders Demo?

Well, we're now just under three weeks away from the full game releasing, with the demo running until that date. It's likely that the demo will receive another update or two, but it's hard to imagine there will be any more wholesale changes.

The post Outriders Demo Update, March 12 – PS4, PS5 and Steam Full Patch Notes by Sam Woods appeared first on DualShockers.