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2K Announces Agreement With Tiger Woods And Acquires Acclaimed PGA Tour Studio

In a recently emailed press release, 2K— known for its NBA 2K series as well as its WWE franchise (among a bevy of popular, non-sports related titles) — has agreed to a long-term deal with legendary golf player Tiger Woods. Additionally, 2K moved to acquire HB Studios, the private development team behind PGA Tour 2K21 as well as The Golf Club. The acquisition of HB Studios is expected to close at some point during the first quarter of this year. 

“I am looking forward to making my return to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios, I’ve found the right partners to make it happen,” said Tiger Woods. “I’m honored to take part in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together.”

This partnership with Tiger Woods includes rights to his name and likeness in future PGA Tour 2K titles. Woods will also serve as an Executive Director and consultant on the acclaimed golf franchise. Dave Ismailer, President at 2K detailed his excitement for the new agreement with Tiger Woods, “We have been eager to announce our partnership with Tiger, whose legendary career has transcended the sport. We are thrilled to have him join our PGA Tour 2K series as an Executive Director.”

Dave Ismailer would also go on to emphasize 2K’s newfound commitment to creating polished and player-focused golf experiences, “Through our new partnership and acquisition of HB Studios, we’ve reaffirmed our commitment to the PGA Tour 2K franchise, expanded on our successful independent studio model and invested in both the right people and resources to bolster our portfolio of world-class sports experiences.”

Click here to watch embedded media

Ultimately, HB Studios will be joining the likes of heavyweight developers like Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, Cloud Chamber, and 31st Union as a wholly-owned 2K studio once the acquisition is finalized.  James Seaboyer, President and Studio Head at HB Studios stated, “Our work with 2K on PGA Tour 2K21 brought our capabilities and aspirations to the next level, and we can’t wait to show the world what we’re planning for the future.”

We enjoyed our time with HB Studios’ PGA Tour 2K21. Andrew Reiner concluded his review commending HB Studios’ for their expertise as a premiere golf development team, “PGA Tour 2K21 certainly has areas that could be improved, but the golfing – the heart and soul of the experience – is exceptional, and can make you feel like a pro when you make perfect shots. HB Studios’ expertise in this sport shines and helps this new series get off to a hell of a start.”

In other acquisition news, Microsoft has finally closed its deal with ZeniMax Studios, meaning that a long line of beloved Bethesda games are now available on Xbox Game Pass.


Are you looking forward to HB Studios’ next PGA Tour title? Let us know in the comments below! 

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Get An Exclusive Look At The Weapons In Deathloop

Click to watch embedded media

Much like Arkane Studios’ previous games, there are multiple ways to approach any given encounter in Deathloop, and the game’s locker of unique equipment only helps to facilitate that. While we’re not showing off every weapon from the game, the exclusive gameplay that you can watch above will give you a substantial glimpse into the arsenal that can be utilized when Deathloop releases later this year. You can look forward to seeing a slew of interesting weapons, including the Tribunàl, which is a teal pistol that looks like it belongs to your favorite James Bond villain. 

While playing as Colt, you’ll come across a myriad of cultish villains while dismembering the secret society that is keeping you from escaping the time loop, and you can use all sorts of weapons to do so. The Strelak 50-50, for instance, is a massive assault rifle that turns baddies to dust with its large magazine, while the PT-6 Spiker is not unlike a pressurized nailgun. The Fourpounder is a hand cannon that fires massive slugs with each shot. Each gun and gadget in Deathloop seems to be oozing with 1960s-inspired pizzazz, and I can’t wait to get my hands on every one of them when the game releases later this year.

Not sure why you should be excited for Deathloop? Read this snippet from our cover reveal:

Arkane Studios is well-known for its love of systemic game design, which allows players to approach combat encounters and puzzles in myriad ways. Titles like Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, and Dishonored helped the studio build a sizable cult following, and now the team is taking its artistic approach to game design and building something new: Deathloop.

Set on the chilly island of Blackreef, Deathloop is a story about a secret society that invents an eternal timeloop. There is just one catch: Most of the people caught in the cycle don’t have any memory of previous loops. Colt Vahn is the hapless hero who actually remembers everything that happens from one day to the next, and if he wants to escape this torment, he must assassinate the eight leaders of the program. Unfortunately, everyone on the island is also out to kill him.

If you enjoyed this exclusive gameplay video, be sure to watch our Rapid Fire interview with Deathloop’s Game Director, Dinga Bakaba, wherein we ask him 80 rapid-fire questions about the inspirations behind the game and whether or not Groundhog Day is a better movie than Back To The Future. If you haven’t yet, be sure to subscribe to the Game Informer YouTube channel so you don’t miss the rest of our Deathloop cover story videos this month.

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Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two Teased For Wednesday Reveal

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two is set to be revealed in full on Wednesday, March 17. Bethesda has released a teaser video to help build hype and give fans an idea of what the game’s second piece of DLC will entail. 

The brief clip doesn’t show a whole lot – it’s a trailer for a trailer, after all – but it does give a look at the massive conflict making it way into the game. The Doom Slayer looks like he’s got his work cut out for him, but he’s got plenty of backup and I’m sure players wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Click here to watch embedded media

The Ancient Gods – Part One released last October and saw the Doom Slayer take on an all new demonic invasion of Earth following the events of Doom Eternal. Part Two picks up from that story’s wild ending and will likely prove to be as challenging as everything else in the game which is, well, pretty dang hard. 

Doom Eternal launched last spring to positive reviews, with many praising its tight gunplay, phenomenal presentation, and white-knuckle challenge. The game’s emphasis on first-person platforming was generally well-liked but the effect it had on the game’s pacing had its fair share of detractors, namely our own editor Blake Hester in this opinion piece on the matter.  

For more of our thoughts on Doom Eternal, check out our review of the base game here. You can also read this interesting discussion from the game’s director regarding the possibility of a female Doom Slayer. It’s also worth reminding you that the entire Doom series is now available on Xbox Game Pass thanks to Microsoft closing the deal on its purchase of Bethesda. 

Are you looking forward to playing The Ancient Gods – Part Two? Let us know in the comments!

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Like Diablo? Like Pokémon? Siralim Ultimate Might Be A Perfect Fit

On March 12, Siralim Ultimate launched in Early Access on Steam. If you’re like me, you may be wondering “what on earth is Siralim Ultimate?”. Well, I gave it a try, and I’m really glad I did. The turn-based pixelated RPG combines some of the best things about the dungeon-crawling of Diablo along with creature collectors like Shin Megami Tensei and Pokémon. Progression and customization are around every single corner, and you keep unlocking new aspects to engage with as you delve into different biomes and tilesets. From nemesis packs that spawn with random modifiers to challenge you, treasure golems to track down for bonus loot, and a zillion different things to grind that all synergize with each other, Siralim Ultimate is pure bliss for min-maxers of all kinds as you attempt to break the game constantly to crush enemies and bosses.

Click here to watch embedded media

First, it’s about picking a class. Yes, this game has classes too. As I played Siralim Ultimate, perhaps one of the most intriguing and compelling aspects about the game is how intelligently it weaves in mechanics from all kinds of genres into the turn-based, procedural-generation floor crawling loop. Stuffing so many mechanics together can result in a lack of cohesive vision, but it’s pretty clear this game revels in providing as many interlocking systems as possible.

There are numerous and varied classes to pick from. The Druid thrives on using only one or a few creatures, “lone wolf” style instead of the standard roster of six active monsters, the Reaver gets stronger and stronger the longer you stay in combat, Necromancers can summon minions, and more. I went with the Hell Knight for my first class, taking to heart that you can respec later in the game fairly easily. Hell Knight is all about attacking and attacking hard with the basic Attack command and getting big bonuses from it, like being able to splash damage every enemy in the fight, attacking twice for each command, and dishing out debuffs, crits, and more on every swing. Big crit energy!

The story content of the game should take you about ten hours or so (depending on class, spec, creatures, and grinding… lots of factors here and there’s no rush) and it functions as a tutorial, essentially. The story is… not good. And that’s okay in a game like this, honestly. The narrative is merely a means to an end that gives the player a reason to keep plodding through the infinite dungeons. Along the way, you learn how to build up your home base, enhance the many different NPC utilities available to help augment and craft your monster team to perfection, and meet the many different gods you can build loyalty with as the game drip feeds out various systems as you proceed down into the depths, one level at a time. 

Siralim doesn’t punish you for death much at all, you respawn comfortably back in your castle should you wipe. Instead, you acquire favor as you stay alive, meaning you’re going to get more loot and rewards. This incentivizes you to play smart and careful, but doesn’t make you feel like trash when your entire team gets one shot, which will absolutely happen. Combine creatures and pair their abilities with your class skills to create dire monstrosities that can wreck battles in seconds, equip powerful gear that can further enhance stats, and take on quests for bonus rewards at every step of the way.

It’s all streamlined, with new mechanics, features, and surprises to stumble upon continue being added all the way to the story’s completion, with the “real game” being the postgame, where you can really start exploring combinations and taking on tough content for massive rewards as you continue to build up your castle. The game’s description boasts thousands of gameplay hours, and I’m inclined to believe that.

Bottom line? If you like old-school JRPGs, a ridiculous amount of customization combined with procedural generation, or the creature collection genre, Siralim Ultimate begs a look. While Siralim Ultimate is only available on PC in Early Access right now, it’s planned to launch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch later on down the line. While I haven’t played it, Siralim 3 is currently available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch, Android, and iOS!

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Fall Guys Season 4 Takes The Fun-Loving Jellybeans To The Future

Fall Guys Season 4 takes the fun-loving jellybeans to the high-tech future on March 22 for PS4 and PC. The new season brings with it a host of new mini-games, emotes, and other neon-drenched goodies.

Season 4 sends players to the year 4041 and introduces seven new rounds filled with astronauts, aliens, as well as the mysterious “Beans In Black”. We don’t know what the new minigames will be but the cinematic trailer gives a glimpse of the challenges in store. The video also provides a tantalizing, not-so-subtle tease to a certain popular deception game some might describe as being pretty “sus”. 

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There’s no word on what that ending is hinting towards exactly, but Mediatonic promises to deliver more details as Season 4 approaches launch. 

Fall Guys launched last August for PC and as a free PlayStation Plus game and became one of the year’s breakout multiplayer hits. The game pits up to 60 players against each other in challenges over several rounds, eliminating players until only one is left standing. It’s become popular enough to even boast various crossovers with other games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Doom, and, most recently, Cuphead.

2021 has thus far proven to be a huge year for Fall Guys. For one, the game is spreading its wings by heading to Switch and Xbox platforms this summer. Even bigger, though, is that the game’s parent company, Tonic, was acquired by Epic Games last week. You can read about what that means for Fall Guys going forward by reading here

How do you think Season 4 is shaping up compared to previous seasons? What do you make of that tease at the end? If you’ve fallen off of Fall Guys (pun intended), is this Season enough to lure you back? Let us know in the comments!

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Giveaway: Wonder Woman 1984 Digital Movie

Wonder Woman is back to save humanity in a new era, facing her biggest challenge and fighting her greatest foe yet. Experience the era of “having it all” with over 90 minutes of extras! 

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https://bit.ly/WW84_MovieWBHE

We have 10 Wonder Woman 1984 digital movies to give away, all you need to do is enter below by 3/29/2021 for your chance to win one. You can enter once per day via some methods below. Winners will be selected by random drawing from all eligible entries on or after 3/30/2021 and digital codes will be sent via email. Wonder Woman 1984 is rated PG-13. Full rules available with each entry method below. Good Luck!

MUST REDEEM DIGITAL MOVIE OFFER BY 3/31/2022. MUST HAVE OR REGISTER FOR AN ACCOUNT WITH MOVIES ANYWHERE™. MOVIES ANYWHERE™ IS OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS AGE 13+. ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY, SEE https://moviesanywhere.com/terms-of-use. Ultimate display resolution on playback is dependent upon connection and device characteristics, including screen resolution. High-speed Internet connection required. THIS DIGITAL MOVIE OFFER MAY NOT BE RESOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Galahad 3093 Is A Mech-Based Hero Shooter Reminiscent Of Titanfall

Galahad 3093 is an upcoming mech-based hero shooter that emerges as a spiritual successor to CyberStrike, one of the very first 3D online shooter games. The game also evokes the bombastic visuals of Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall series. Galahad 3093 tasks players with piloting mechs and working together to unleash all-out chaos from the (relative) safety of their cockpits. 

Developed by Simutronics Corp, the game’s cybertronic battlegrounds are home to the cutting-edge Lance mech – a “high-mobility heavy weapons platform” that players can customize and fit with their respective playstyles. These different approaches to battle range from boosting your Lance’s speed for in-and-out engagements, using a vast array of different firearms like plasma guns or guided missiles, and deploying drones, tracking mines, and spawn points to ambush unsuspecting adversaries. 

32 players take to the battleground, meaning that you’ll have to be ready to adapt to a myriad of different scenarios. Some enemies might choose to buffet you with the maximum firepower of akimbo weapons while others might choose to bolster their defenses with shield walls and dropdown turrets.  

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Additionally, the heroes or “knights” piloting the mechs are inspired by Arthurian figures (hence the titular name, Galahad). Each knight amplifies their respective mech with an active and passive ability. For instance, Arthur wields the futuristic sword of legend, X-Calibur, and can also call down orbital strikes. You can discover the various powers of Galahad 3093’s other knights when the free open beta drops this Friday (March 19) at 8 p.m. EST and  5 p.m. PDT. you can request beta access on the Galahad 3093 Steam page. The beta concludes on Sunday, March 28.

What do you think about Galahad 3093 and its Titanfall vibes? Are you planning on checking out the demo? Sound off in the comment section below! 

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Five Bethesda Games Are Getting FPS Boost On Xbox Series X Today

Microsoft announced FPS Boost back in February of this year, sharing another new way that Xbox is making the gaming experience even better on the new generation of consoles. With the Bethesda acquisition now final, that bump in performance will be added to five titles under the ZeniMax umbrella, including Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Dishonored. 

The addition of FPS Boost makes the Xbox experience even better, a feature that aims to add a variety of new methods of doubling (even quadrupling) the original framerates of earlier titles. With the arrival of 20 Bethesda games joining the Xbox Game Pass, the following adventures will be getting that FPS jumpstart later today: 

  • Dishonored: Definitive Edition
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition
  • Fallout 4 
  • Fallout 76
  • Prey

“FPS Boost employs a variety of new methods for nearly doubling the original framerate on select titles,” says Microsoft about the latest games to get this boost in a new Xbox Wire post. “Higher, steadier framerates make games visually smoother, resulting in more immersive gameplay. We partnered closely with developers to enhance the experience while maintaining the game’s original intent. And while not applicable to all games, these new techniques can push game engines to render more quickly for a buttery smooth experience beyond what the original game might have delivered due to the capabilities of the hardware at the time. For the five titles we’ve shared today, gamers can expect to see an increase from 30 fps to nearly 60 fps while enabling FPS Boost.”

Other games that feature FPS Boost include: 

  • Far Cry 4
  • New Super Lucky’s tale
  • Sniper Elite 4
  • UFC 4
  • Watch Dogs 2

From 30 FPS jumping to 60 (and even 60 seeing a jump to 120 FPS!), the addition of FPS Boost is yet another incentive for Xbox players to look into the Xbox Game Pass. Not only does this service offer features like this, but it also includes day one first-party launch titles at no additional cost. The library is also ever-expanding, like the confirmation that Outriders will be available day one on Game Pass.

The company also added that games like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 will not automatically have FPS Boost enabled on Xbox Series X and S, but it’s as simple as going into the “manage game” section and toggling it on. This toggle will also be an option for Auto HDR, as well. 

Thoughts on FPS Boost on Xbox? What games would you like to see get this bump next? Sound off in the comment section below! 

[Source: Xbox]

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Delisted Taiwanese Horror Game Devotion Is Back On Sale Following China Controversy

Devotion, the delisted horror game by Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games, has returned to sale following controversies with both the Chinese government and GOG.com. The game is being sold directly through Red Candles’ website after spending most of its existence removed from digital store shelves.

The game is being sold DRM-free for Windows and Mac for $16.99 or you can grab a bundle that includes a soundtrack for the current sale price of $20.68 (reduced from its standard price of $22.98). If you’ve been itching to give Devotion a shot, now would be the time to do so because it has had a tough time remaining available to say the least. 

The first-person psychological horror game is a follow-up of sorts to the popular game Detention and released on Steam in February 2019 to positive reviews from the few players lucky enough to get their hands on it. I say “lucky” because mere days after Devotion launched, it was discovered that the game featured an in-game poster that referenced Chinese president Xi Jinping as Winnie the Pooh and called him a “moron”, imagery that is censored in China. The meme raised the ire of its Chinese audience, and the game delisted from Steam with Red Candles citing QA reasons but never returned to sale. Devotion’s Chinese publishers also had their business licenses revoked by the government.  

Hope arose in December 16 of last year when Red Candle Games announced that Devotion would be returning to sale, this time through GOG.com. That rug got pulled out when CD Projekt, who owns GOG.com, backtracked just a few hours later by saying the game would not be sold on the storefront after it received messages from “gamers”. 

This should be great news for horror fans because, by most accounts, Devotion is supremely creepy and worth checking out (I already grabbed it because I’m not tempting fate again). Will you be giving it a shot? Let us know in the comments!

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Watch Dogs Legion Crossplay, Cross-Gen Support Is Coming Soon

Now that multiplayer is live in Watch Dogs: Legion, players want to know when and if they can play with friends on other platforms. With more and more gamers getting into the new generation with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the topic of cross-gen support has also come up. Luckily, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion crossplay and cross-gen support is coming soon. 

As with many confirmations in recent years, the crossplay/cross-gen announcement was subtly made on Twitter. When one player responded to a Watch Dogs tweet saying “please enable cross-gen,” the game’s account responded, saying “While crossplay and cross-progression is currently not available for the Watch Dogs: Legion Online mode, the development team is working on adding this feature to the game with a later update.” 

With the game having been out now for over four months, the single-player narrative has been completed by most of the active gamers making up that concurrent player count. This would make the addition of cross-play and cross-gen support a beneficial update, since most playing now that aren’t just jumping in are playing for the online mode. 

It will be interesting to see how the community responds to when this update eventually goes live, especially given that there seems to be some restlessness in the community regarding the substantial nature of the game. With more and more gamers every week joining a new generation of gaming, being able to play with others regardless of make and model of their platform of choice makes the world of difference. 

We don’t know when Watch Dogs: Legion will be adding cross-play or cross-gen support, but at least we know it is on the way in a coming update. 

Thoughts on Watch Dogs: Legion so far and what could be next? Sound off in the comments below! You can also check out our thoughts on the Ubisoft title with our full review right here

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Outriders Joins Xbox Game Pass At Launch

This weekend, Microsoft was teasing an “anomaly” in an email concerning the company’s newest Xbox Game Pass addition. Now, it’s official! People Can Fly’s Outriders is confirmed to be on Xbox Game Pass on day one of launch

Microsoft swears it’s no joke that Outriders will be available on Xbox Game Pass on April 1st for Xbox Game Pass and Ultimate members. The looter shooter with RPG flare is the latest co-op experience from the Bulletstorm studio and published by Square Enix. For those that are excited about the upcoming adventure, Game Pass members can try it out for no additional cost. 

Click here to watch embedded media

You can take to the world of Outriders solo or with friends to build up skills, explore untold dangers, make a new future for humanity, and figure out just what the heck that mystery signal really means. We loved our time with the shooter, which you can learn more about right here with our hands-on impressions

For those that don’t have a Game Pass membership at this time, here’s what you need to know. With this service, there are two options to choose from: the Xbox Game Pass and the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Both offer Xbox players a chance to play over 100 titles at no additional cost, including day-one launches of first-party titles. 

Xbox Game Pass is $9.99 a month with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate version coming in at $14.99, including Xbox Live Gold into that updated price. It’s a solid deal for those that don’t care to own titles or intend to play through them more than once. It’s even better now that 20 new games have arrived from Bethesda and ZeniMax thanks to the now-official acquisition by Microsoft

[Source: Xbox]

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Fortnite’s Next Season Kicks Off Tomorrow: Here’s What We Know So Far

Get excited, folks. Fortnite‘s next season kicks off on March 16 at 4 a.m. ET. Even now, a day before the event begins, over five thousands fans have gathered on Fortnite’s YouTube page to wait and make sure they don’t miss a thing. You’ll see it all first on the YouTube page and then will get the chance to play it.

Fortnite’s developer, Epic Games, isn’t afraid to shake up the formula and surprise fans in unexpected ways. Even without any knowledge of what the next season will hold, we already know it’s going to be radically different. Epic announced players will first play through a single-player experience before being shuttled to the core battle royale formula. Single-player Fornite? We can’t wait to see what this will be like.

For the last couple of months, players have been engaging with a temporal anomaly or “Zero Point” that has been bringing the greatest hunters in the universe to the island. The Mandalorian was there on day one, and then the Terminator and Predator arrived, and were quickly followed by Ripley and a Xenomorph, Ant-Man, and more.

Season 6 kicks off with the closure, or so Epic Games says. The story that we will play through shows us the “conclusion of Agent Jones’ mission.” The Zero Point is destabilizing, and Jones and the hunters need to figure out how to close it. Epic gave us two narrative teases on Twitter, one showing us what appears to be a werewolf character.

The second tease shows Jones’ struggle to find out more about “The Seven.” He suggests he will be infiltrating a facility.

Epic hasn’t given many teases outside of this, and the rumor mill and leaks have been all over the place, giving very little to latch onto as a concrete direction for this next season. The good news is we don’t have long to wait. Come tomorrow morning, we’ll all have the chance to play through Fornite’s single-player story.

As always, the new season will bring a slew of unlockables in the Battle Pass and missions to complete. What are you hoping to see tomorrow? If the single-player experience is great, would you want a full, standalone Fortnite single-player game?

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Why The Xbox Wireless Headset Is A Good Option For Series X Owners

When Xbox Series X launched earlier this year (check out our review here), it delivered several improvements over its predecessor, the Xbox One. However, while one of Xbox Series X’s main legs-up over PlayStation 5 is in how all the accessories you had for Xbox One, including controllers and headsets, were instantly compatible with your new system, PS5’s Pulse 3D wireless headset delivered audio quality and features that no first-party offering from Microsoft could match. Now, Xbox is here with its own new-gen, first-party wireless headset to rival the PS5-launch offering of Sony. 

True to the mission of Xbox’s entire pitch this generation, the Xbox Wireless Headset connected almost instantly with my Xbox Series S and updated wirelessly via the Xbox Accessories app. Once updated, I could go into the app and fine-tune how I want the audio to come through the headset, including various equalizer settings and bass boost, as well as how sensitive I want the mic’s auto-mute functionality to be or how bright I want the mic light to be. Once I have the headset just the way I like it (or at least how I think I like it… I won’t know for sure until I’m playing), it’s time to jump into a game.

In a game, the oomph the headset packs was immediately evident as I cracked open some loot boxes in Overwatch. Once I join a party, I had to do some adjusting with my teammate. For one, the headset seems to pick up more volume from party mates’ microphones than other headsets I’ve used, as her voice almost sounded multi-tracked. I’m not sure if this is a result of a setting I had (I had my own mic-monitoring on, but that shouldn’t affect how her voice sounds in chat), but when I switched between the Xbox Wireless Headset and the LucidSound headset I had been using since the launch of the Series X/S, her voice returned to normal. Upon switching back to the Xbox Wireless Headset, her voice once again sounded layered in weird ways. She also tried multiple headsets to no avail. I asked her to move her mic further from her mouth, and that seemed to rectify the problem. Again, I’m not sure if it was a connection issue, an Xbox issue, a setting issue, or a sound-pickup issue, but it was resolved fairly quick.

Once we were in game and the initial chat-audio problem was solved, voice chat was crisp and easily leveled against the game audio. My teammate also commented on how my voice sounds clearer using the Xbox Wireless Headset than it normally does with my other headset I typically use. The adjustable auto-mute functionality, which blocks out background sounds, works well, though I didn’t have very much background noise on as I was testing it out; I anticipate I’ll just keep the feature off either way. The mic monitoring, even when set on “high,” didn’t deliver the level of output of my own voice into my headset I was hoping for, but other than that, my criticism of how voice chat works with the Xbox Wireless Headset is minimal.

The in-game sound comes through very clear; in one game of Overwatch, I thought the entire opposing team was in front of me, but I suddenly heard a charging Reinhardt from behind with enough time to react and avoid his attack. Weapon sounds also come through very clearly, delivering a strong sense of presence. While the headset works great as is, I found I got the most out of it when using the Dolby Atmos setting, enabled through the Dolby app. Whether I was watching a tech demo for the Atmos technology (the ear cups literally vibrated as thunder roared during the video), enjoying a scene of the critically acclaimed 1917, or playing through a mission of Gears 5, the 3D sound is impressive and precise.

Perhaps the most novel part about the Xbox Wireless Headset is in how the device can connect to your Xbox and mobile device simultaneously, delivering sound from both pieces of hardware. Using this, I fired up Mortal Kombat 11 on the Xbox Series S, then put on the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack and had both devices outputting to the headset at the same time. While that use-case might be less common, it was a fun way to test the functionality. I also threw on a podcast while I played a few runs of Dead Cells, and even played a little Madden set to my favorite workout playlist. If one device is too overpowering, you can easily adjust the output volume on either piece of hardware. Obviously, since it can connect to a mobile phone via Bluetooth, you can wear the headset as standard headphones on the go if you so choose.

All of these features and options are great, but I was most pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the headset is over extended use. I typically don’t even like wearing headsets for longer sessions because the headband often hurts the top of my head after a short period. Thankfully, that is not the case with the Xbox Wireless Headset. Even after a couple hours of continuous gameplay, I only had to adjust the headband once for mild discomfort. In addition, the ear cups are soft and fully encasing, but my ears never once felt overheated or sweaty. The Xbox Wireless Headset is among the most comfortable gaming headsets I’ve used. 

At $100, the Xbox Wireless Headset delivers excellent value for those who want to get the most out of their Xbox consoles without breaking the bank. The 3D spatial audio sounds terrific in action, and with crisp, clear communication, both incoming and outgoing, it’s a great option for those who like to hear every detail while remaining in close contact with their squad. The Xbox Wireless Headset launches on March 16 and is compatible with the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows 10 PCs, and mobile devices via Bluetooth. 

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Thomas The Tank Engine Invades Valheim, No Mod Needed

When a game can be modded, it will be modded, usually with Thomas the Tank Engine. That being said, one Valheim player decided to bring the iconic ‘choo choo that could’ into the Viking game and said, “Mods? Don’t know her.” 

Usually, when ‘ol Tommy boy joins the mix, it’s because of the ongoing Tank Engine joke in the modding community. But Valheim is a creative experience all on its own, which means one player decided to take it upon themselves to continue on this tried-and-true modding tradition. Just without the actual mods

Not so scary now, are you, big guy? from r/valheim

We’ve been sharing many creative endeavors in the world of Valheim lately, including this ongoing (and impressive) 1:1 scale replica of Skyrim’s Whiterun, spoof “feel good” videos about Greylings, and more. It’s easy to share player creations because the community for Valheim is huge.

Ever since this Early Access title launched on Steam, it has dominated the charts time and time again. It’s a survival game for those that don’t like survival games because the survival mechanics are done in a way that feels like a chore. Instead, the calming soundtrack and soothing art style make it easy to want to explore this beautiful world. The crafting and creation side of Valheim also is nothing to scoff at, with even more options to expand coming in future updates. 

Valheim is a game we can’t recommend enough. We’ve been playing it a lot ourselves here at Game Informer, and our own Dan Tack has written several helpful guides to help players get started. To learn more about this PC adventure, you can check out our game hub here to find out what sort of magic this tale has to tell. 

Thoughts on Valheim, the tradition of Thomas the Tank Engine, or the Early Access world in general? Sound off with your hottest of hot takes in the comment section below! 

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New PlayStation Event Will Feature Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade And Resident Evil Village

Another new PlayStation event is on the horizon with PlayStation Japan’s Play! Play! Play! showcase going down this weekend. The latest Team Blue celebration will particularly focus on Resident Evil Village and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for the PS5

The upcoming Japanese livestreaming event is happening on March 21, 2021, and will share another new look at the upcoming Resident Evil horror title featuring stomp-worthy vampire ladies and Ethan’s return from director Morisama Sato and Kyao Sato. It will also dive deeper in the PlayStation 5-exclusive edition of the Final Fantasy VII Remake with Intergrade with producer Yoshinori Kitase and Takuya Nakamura. 

Don’t expect anything super surprising with the upcoming Play! Play! Play! showcase, it’s expected to be a smaller event meant to celebrate the two franchise experiences. There could be some new gameplay shared, but the teaser on the official website suggest that this could be more of a Fireside Chat style with the devs, versus a showcase meant to be purely news announcements. 

Click here to watch embedded media

It’s important to remember that this event is for PlayStation Japan, so the language will be native for any that do not speak Japanese. 

Regarding the two games, Resident Evil Village is slated to release on May 7 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, while Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launches on June 10, exclusively for PlayStation 5. You can learn what else is out there about both games with our respective game hubs here and here, including new trailers, deep dives, and so much more. 

Thoughts on the upcoming PlayStation event featuring Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Resident Evil Village? What do you hope to see at the upcoming showcase? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below, host Hatsune Matsushima would want you to. 

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New Hot Wheels Mario Kart Rainbow Road Track Revealed (UPDATE)

….Content…SANITIZED …WzZzzZZzzZzaAapppPPp!!!! 🙂

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Silent Hill Director Teases Current Collaboration With A “Famous Creator In Japan” For New Horror Game

Silent Hill director Keiichiro Toyama announced his newly formed Bokeh Game Studio back in December alongside Gravity Rush’s Junya Okura and Puppeteer’s Kazunobo Sato to make a new horror adventure for fans to enjoy. While the new project is estimated to release sometime in 2023, we don’t actually know much about the mystery title at this time, but that hasn’t stopped the director from creatively teasing what horror fans will have to look forward to. 

In a recent interview with AI Hub, Toyama teased that he has a special collaboration that he can’t wait to share. When asked to share something new and excited, the director responded, saying, “We’re obviously still at an early period, so there’s not a lot we can actually say, but we are looking to create an experience that can be enjoyed widely by a range of people,” he told the site. “So, for example, we intend for our game to have a setting in Asian cities.”

He added, “One thing we can say is that we are working hard right now to collaborate with a famous creator in Japan, and that’s something we haven’t been open about before.”

Click here to watch embedded media

Between Toyama’s horror game and Silent Hill’s composer, Akira Yamaoka, also working on a new horror project, it’s an awesome time to be a Silent Hill fan even without a new Silent Hill game. That’s not to say a new Silent Hills title isn’t also in the works if rumors over the past few years are to be believed. Despite Hideo Kojima’s very public split from Konami, there have been a plethora of reports and rumors suggesting that the company is ready to revive Silent Hill…and not just with casino cabinets. 

It will be interesting to see what Konami is up to, but we’re even more intrigued to see Toyama’s new horror vision. He knows how to craft the perfect scare, and with the freedom his new studio allows, the sky is the limit for what sort of horrific creation this team can come up with. 

What do you hope to see from this mysterious collaboration and Keiichiro Toyama’s new horror game? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

[Source: AI Hub via VGC]

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BasicallyIDoWrk, I AM WILDCAT, and Terroriser On Their New Show ‘Alpha Betas’

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In a world where gaming adaptations are a dime a dozen, a new show hovers over the horizon that aims to do something new. Instead of adapting a game series that is beloved by many, a group of YouTubers is joined by some serious talent to save the world through the power of gaming. No, but like seriously, it’s a whole CIA organization, big deal, very complicated. 

This show follows the story of an elite virtual strike force of four l33t gamers. Their mission that they really have no choice but to accept? Jump into a plethora of video game realms to help solve world-ending problems. Known as the Alpha Betas, this crew is as reckless as they are arrogant, so you know everything is just going to be honky-dory. 

Join Alex Stadnik and Liana Ruppert as they sit down with Alpha Betas stars BassicallyIDoWrk as Mason, I AM WILDCAT as Tommy, and Terroriser as Buck and explore what it was like working with talent like Paget Brewster (Friends), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Chris Parnell (SNL), Brent Morin (Chelsea Lately), and John DiMaggio (Futurama).  

This crew, alongside VanossGaming (who plays Eddie), has years of experience working together on their own channels, channels with millions of subscribers who love their type of humor. Translating that humor into a show is actually a lot easier than some might think. We talked about inspiration, goals, humor, and we got a little too deep into some “no-no” topics that had their PR pondering if they needed to hit that big red STOP button. Luckily for us, there was no stopping this train once it got started. 

So join us while we chat, bond, and look forward to the future as we celebrate gaming culture and the new show that aims to do it justice. 

Where can you watch it, you might be asking? The Alpha Betas pilot will be premiering exclusively on VanossGaming’s YouTube channel here on March 13! If you like it, we could be seeing even more from this crew and the studio behind Rick & Morty. 

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Cities: Skylines Studio CEO Talks Development, Mod Community, And Six Years Of Success

Cities: Skylines

The 2015 release of Cities: Skylines delivered something fans of the mid-’90s city builder titles had been sorely missing: a modern, yet faithful reimagining of the genre. While Cities: Skylines was every bit a modern entry in the genre many grew up loving, it forewent the negative aspects of the modern formula, while embracing the community wholeheartedly. The result is a game that today, six years later, still has a dedicated community playing the title and delivering a vibrant mod scene. 

We had a chance to speak with Mariina Hallikainen, CEO of developer Colossal Order, about the development and continued support of Cities: Skylines. You can see our full Q&A below.


When the team started development on Cities: Skylines, what inspirations did it look at and pull from for the initial concepting? 
We had some serious SimCity fans in the dev team and wanted to achieve a spiritual successor to SimCity 4. Naturally, the ambition was much greater than our resources at the time, so we had to prioritize on the amount of content and different features. Visual work such as day and night cycle and seasons were out of the question and we would have loved to create more variation for the assets. We tried to focus on making the game feel bigger than it actually was by allowing as much freedom for the player as possible and supporting modding as extensively as we technically could.

Cities: Skylines

What about the city-builder genre made this an even more attractive project than Colossal Order’s prior projects? Did the team take any learnings from the Cities in Motion titles into Skylines?
This was the dream from the start! We founded Colossal Order with the intent that one day “Colossal Cities” would see the light of day. This was back in 2009 and we were five people with limited funding, so we decided to start with something smaller to build toward greater challenges. Cities in Motion games were really a stepping stone for us, a focus on one aspect of a city builder: mass transit. 

We learned so much from working together, working with a publisher, and most importantly about our player base. I’d say the most important learning from the CIM games was getting to know the community and the meaning of modding for our games. We really see it as an integral part of the player experience we want to offer not only now but in the future. 

As development progressed, what elements of the classic city-builder formula did the team feel were most important? Which were flexible? Which elements of the classic formula did the team most want to change or improve upon?
Cities are a wonderful concept because everyone has an idea how they should work and a city builder is just for that – for the player to create their own vision. We focused on the very basic building blocks: roads, houses, jobs. City services to support the needs of the citizens: health, education, recreation. We wanted there to be as much freedom as possible, ability to create something from the real world. One of the greatest successes was the road building, that gives the player tools to do something real, or completely imaginary. It was always more about the simulation and the gameplay than the visuals however, not faking any numbers but actually having the player see every citizen and every choice they make.

Cities: Skylines

Reception for the game was very positive upon release. Did the strong community support and critical reception alter the game’s post-launch lifespan in any ways? 
Certainly it did, immensely! Our target at Colossal for copies sold was 300,000, so more than our previous games and enough to allow us to work on the game for a couple of expansions before starting something new. Now, six years later, it’s still quite difficult to understand what actually happened, but we have been so happy to have kept it going so long. All thanks go to the community and their endless suggestions and ideas for improvement. 

Was there any feedback from the fans that shaped the game in meaningful ways early on in the post-launch phase? 
The most meaningful feedback and probably the most impactful was related to the very first expansion of Cities: Skylines. Prior to the launch, we had been bouncing ideas with our publisher Paradox Interactive for an expansion and started to work on an idea where the city would have these groups causing new demands and challenges. It was a poor idea and we struggled to make something good out of it. However we got a massive amount of feedback from the players that the game needs a day and night cycle (do you remember that feature wasn’t there at release?). However, we were already three months in on a six-month development cycle when our programmers decided to test how difficult it would be to achieve a day and night cycle for the game, just for the fun of it. They came to me with the results and I immediately called Paradox, asking if we could change the entire first expansion, promising that we can do it by the planned release date. Everyone was so excited to work on After Dark and probably very relieved to drop subcultures that we managed to make a great first expansion, thanks to our community.

Cities: Skylines

How has the modding community surprised you? Does the development team have any community mods it particularly enjoys?
First, how were the modders so fast?! We barely got the game out and there were so many cool mods available in the workshop. My personal favorite is still the Bordered Skylines mod because you can make your city glow neon pink … priceless. Other, more gameplay meaningful favorites of the team are Move it and the Metro Overhaul, which actually inspired us to make the overground metro available in a free update for everyone. I also love how the modders have pushed us to do better; for example, as an oversight, the game released with no ability to change the direction of a one way road after placing one. Very soon we noticed a mod for that realizing we’d missed this entirely and very quickly fixed it. It has also been great to see so many high-quality assets in the workshop, often showcasing the creators’ local landmarks or architectural style. Today, we have four team members at Colossal with a modding background in Cities: Skylines. It’s a testament to the ability of these individuals and the importance of the effort they have put into it as they turned their hobby into a profession. 

What do you think are the greatest accomplishments of the official expansion packs? What did you most want to address going into the process of creating expansions for Cities: Skylines? Do you think you were successful?
We really appreciated the chance to keep working on Cities: Skylines as the base game really was just a beginning. And please don’t get me wrong, the game stands on its own two feet, but there were so many features we wanted to still include. Missing features that the modders so kindly pointed out to us, improving on the modding tools, adding new features and variety of content. We already internally had a very long wishlist that we wanted to work on post-release, and the community kept adding to it.

There were some great successes and some that didn’t live up to our expectations. Mass transit was really a great one as we could refer to our background having created Cities in Motion games. One of my personal favorites is Park Life; I think it is so much fun and really shows how the attention to detail and art has evolved over the years. Overall with all the free updates to the base game, it really isn’t the same as it was six years ago. So much was improved over the years.

Cities: Skylines

Do you have a great pitch for what people who maybe bought the game in 2015 and loved it, but haven’t gone back in several years, are missing by not playing the game as it exists in 2021?
There isn’t a better time to fire up that good old Cities: Skylines and see all that is new in your virtual city! There’s just so much players can do now that wasn’t available at launch. There are more than 20 pieces of DLC available, from new radio stations, to content creator packs made by fans, all the way to major content drops. Here are some of them: Campus, Green Cities, Mass Transit, and Industries.

As you look back at the first six years of Cities: Skylines, what do you see as the biggest successes? Do you identify any missed opportunities or room for continued growth and improvement? 
It has been absolutely fantastic, challenging, tiring, and yet always so rewarding to work on Cities: Skylines. I’m a big believer in continuous improvement and it’s at the core of our development process at Colossal Order. I think we all regret our failure to get proper seasons in the game, but it was simply not feasible at the time and we decided to live with the winter maps feature in the Snowfall expansion. The game has evolved immensely over the years with improvements and new content and features, but the absolute biggest success is our relationship with the community, our endless source for inspiration. 

Cities: Skylines

What does the future hold for Cities: Skylines? Do you have plans for a follow-up game, or are you looking to continue developing upon the existing base?
Cities: Skylines, with its community, is the most important game Colossal Order has created. Beyond that, there isn’t much further we can say at the moment.


For more on Cities: Skylines, you can check out our review of the PC version, as well as the console version.

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Borderlands Movie Taps Haley Bennett To Play A New Character

The Borderlands movie has already cast several of the series’ most well-known characters, from Roland to Claptrap to Tiny Tina. The latest casting announcement, however, is for a mysterious new character that actress Haley Bennett has been tapped to portray. 

Bennett starred in 2019’s Swallow and has appeared in films such as The Magnificent 7 (Emma Cullen), The Girl on the Train (Megan), and, most recently, Hillbilly Elegy (Lindsay) and The Devil All The Time (Charlotte). According to IGN, the only clue to Bennett’s character is that she’ll be have some sort of important connection to Lilith. That’s an interesting clue, and it’s not surprising to see an original character appear in this thing, as video games adaptations tend to do. 

Haley Bennett in “Swallow”

The Borderlands movie is being directed by Eli Roth and distributed by Lionsgate. It currently has no release window, and is set to begin filming in Budapest sometime this year after enduring pandemic-related setbacks since its announcement in February 2020. Several key characters from the Borderlands franchise have already found their performers; choices that, thus far, seem to have polarized fans of the games. Here’s a list of the confirmed cast so far: 

Lilith – Cate Blanchett

Roland – Kevin Hart

Claptrap – Jack Black

Patricia Tannis – Jamie Lee Curtis

Tiny Tina – Arianna Greenblatt

Krieg – Florian Munteanu

We still don’t know anything about what the plot will entail nor who the villain will be (though one would think it’ll be Handsome Jack, right?). The movie is live-action, but it’s unknown if the film will incorporate the game’s signature cel-shaded aesthetic in some way. 

So Borderlands fans, what do you think of throwing a new face into the franchise. Any thoughts on Haley Bennett as an actress? How do you feel about the confirmed cast so far? Sound off with those hot takes in comments! 

[Source: IGN]

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Arkane Talks Going From Dishonored To Deathloop

Over the last two generations, Arkane Studios has made a name for itself with the Dishonored franchise. Dishonored, Dishonored 2, and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider garnered critical and fan acclaim for their unique, empowering gameplay that made you think through every move and approach each situation with care. Deathloop is a different experience altogether, but the Dishonored DNA is undeniably there, and the lessons Arkane took from the development of those three beloved titles have served them well in the development of the studio’s new IP.

Before the team at Arkane Studios starts each project, game director Dinga Bakaba says they go through a discovery process to ensure the team is only carrying forward the elements that work, while simultaneously auditing what has previously worked to ensure those elements are still fun6. “We always try to ask ourselves the same questions to be sure that we are still happy with the answers,” Bakaba says. “In some ways, it’s an excruciating process because you need to be constantly in doubt, but at the same time, I think it’s healthy, like, don’t rush to a solution because it worked in the last game.”

One of the biggest lessons Arkane carried from Dishonored into Deathloop is the way it approaches player agency. “We entrust the player with a lot of ownership of their own enjoyment,” Bakaba says. “That’s our philosophy: We really hand the games over to the players. That’s something we still wanted to do, definitely. I think that’s part of our DNA. Sometimes we like the odd solution to a problem; even the solution that we didn’t think about to a problem is something that we really love. That’s our drive, really, in this industry.”

That approach was absolutely exemplified in the critically acclaimed Dishonored franchise, and Arkane hopes to recapture that magic through Deathloop. “We learned a lot from Dishonored, both in its successes and its failures; we are very proud of it, but we are perfectionists, so we are actually harsh on everything we do,” Bakaba says. “One of the things that we’re very proud of in the Dishonored series is our approach to level design that is both design-centric around the player, but at the same time there is a view at making things that make sense architecturally and are artistically pleasing, so we really tried to retrain the balance.”

The team even learned a smaller lesson from the creation of Dishonored through the results screen to hammer home the philosophy of playing the game how you want. “In Dishonored, we see the game as play the way you want, but there’s [something small] that in hindsight, I wouldn’t do again,” Bakaba says. “At the end of the results screen, when you’re never detected, it’s a green check, and if you were detected, it’s a red cross. It’s a small, subtle thing, but it kind of means for players there is one right way to go about it and you weren’t able to do it. It sounds like criticism whereas what we really wanted to do was report on what you did.”

Arkane’s stellar world design allows for those situations where you can approach the same objectives in myriad ways. That tradition is carried forward in Deathloop, but Arkane knew it could take a different approach in some regards when designing the districts of its newest title thanks to the time loop mechanic. “We don’t have a checklist of, ‘Let’s have an entrance for every power,’ or something like that; it’s more that we try to make those spaces believable,” Bakaba says. “In Dishonored where you were traversing the districts in a certain way and, because we had a story to tell, we put a chokepoint to make sure that you see that cutscene or make sure you see this situation. Here, we don’t really care if players miss something because they can come back the next day and witness it. It is actually more open in terms of approaches and opportunities to completely circumvent combat or confrontation. We actually provided ways to circulate in those maps without engaging at all with the NPCs because we think it should be – especially with the time loop – we think it should be a choice.”

In addition to multiple ways to approach any situation, Deathloop also allows you to play through the main campaign as Colt, or attempt to disrupt someone else’s playthrough as Julianna. While the first Dishonored put you in the shoes of a silent protagonist named Corvo, Dishonored 2 expanded the playable character roster to not only give a voice to Corvo, but also introduce Emily as a second playable character, a character that brought an entirely different feel to the play experience. As you might expect, this progression allowed Arkane to learn valuable lessons it carried into Deathloop.

Bakaba acknowledges that the transition to two playable protagonists gave the team insight into creating an experience for two distinct characters, but it approached it in a different way through Deathloop. “In terms of gameplay, it’s really rich to be able to explore two different sets of powers, and it’s nice narratively to get the outlook of the character of the events,” he says. “With Deathloop we ended up making different choices. One is that we ended up going back to the voiced protagonists, so definitely something that we felt was important. But this time, yes, there are two playable characters, but it’s very asymmetrical, both in who they are and what they do, but also in their gameplay style. They are both a completely different way to approach the game. It’s more or less the opposite approach compared to Dishonored 2, where it was two characters going through the same adventure, playing through the same thing, but with different outlooks and different tools.”

Perhaps the clearest connection between Dishonored and Deathloop from a gameplay perspective is in how certain powers in Deathloop bear a striking resemblance to abilities in the Dishonored games. Deathloop’s Shift is undeniably similar to Dishonored’s Blink, while Dishonored 2 players may see similarities between that game’s Domino ability and Deathloop’s Nexus. The biggest difference between Shift and Blink, which allow you to rapidly phase in one direction, is that Shift doesn’t stop time, opening up unique combat opportunities in Deathloop’s gameplay. 

Deathloop

In a gameplay demo with Bakaba, I see this in action as he holds the trigger to stay in the air, then continues shooting enemies below. In that same demo, Bakaba also demonstrates the biggest difference between Dishonored 2’s Domino and Deathloop’s Nexus; both link the fates of multiple NPCs, meaning that if you kill one, the linked characters topple as well. In Dishonored 2, you target the characters you wish to link, while in Deathloop, it’s a projectile that links characters within the radius.

While it might seem weird to have similar powers between the studio’s biggest franchise and its newest game, Bakaba insists it was very much intentional. “That was a creative choice to say, ‘Okay, for some of those things, we want to experiment and go completely crazy: campaign structure, nothing like we’ve done before; multiplayer, that’s entirely new; the world is completely new; the narrative tools we are using, some of them are really new,'” he says. “Because of all this novelty, we wanted to have a sure footing in something we knew how to do, and some familiarity. This is something where, if you go completely out of your way, you might lose yourself, so we wanted to have some things to grab on and say, ‘This is something we know and we can improve and tweak a little bit.’ … As a studio, we wanted to keep some familiarity with what we’ve done before, but also for our players to have some features or gameplay style that they are used to, so it’s a way to carry a little bit of familiarity into the unknown.”

While Dishonored is the closest comparison you can make to Deathloop when it comes to Arkane’s past projects, you can trace other games from the studio’s past in Deathloop. Whether you’re talking the freedom-facing design and simulation-driven gameplay of the studio’s 2002 debut title Arx Fatalis or the spell-heavy gameplay style of 2006’s Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, longtime Arkane fans will notice tiny pieces of games outside of the Dishonored series carried over into Deathloop. As Bakaba describes it, the team is always making a chimera with every passing project, but sometimes the lion’s head is large, and other times, it’s small.

“We are testing how far we can go retaining our DNA,” Bakaba says. “It’s been a very challenging exercise and process, but it’s also very fun, very refreshing, and exactly what we wanted going in.”

If you’re as intrigued by the world of Deathloop as we are, Deathloop arrives on PlayStation 5 and PC on May 21. For more in-depth looks at the upcoming Arkane title, check out our current issue and our coverage hub by clicking on the banner below.

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Rainbow Six Siege’s Crimson Heist Lands Next Week

rainbow six siege crimson heist

On March 16, Rainbow Six Siege gets a big update featuring a new character and much more with the Crimson Heist season. In the spirit of a giant new content update, Ubisoft has released a story trailer to kick things off before it actually launches. You can watch it right here!

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Of note with the Crimson Heist content pack is a rework of the Border map, Newcomer playlist, a new weapon, and more. Of course, that wouldn’t be enough, there has to be a new Operator too right? It’s Flores. Flores is an offensive attack that comes with a bang-up kit that includes an explosive remote-controlled RCE-Ratero Charge. This hot new tech lets you blow up stuff safely at a distance, allowing you to bust holes in walls or taking out the opposing tech without putting yourself in harm’s way.

Numerous changes have occurred in the Border map in the name of quality-of-life improvements, including new walls, interiors, and exterior changes. Many other changes are coming in this patch as well, which you can read about here.

Rainbow Six Siege is well known as one of the most transformed turnarounds in the recent era of gaming. While Game Informer scored it a 7 out of 10 in its initial review, the game has utilized its framework to become a special tactical shooter experience today, in stark contrast to its launch. Watching a game-as-a-service entity come up from a rather mediocre beginning is impressive. You can check out some of our time with Crimson Heist right here.

“The multiplayer core at the heart of Rainbow Six Siege is a great foundation. But given its lack of infrastructure around the mode and severe lack of meaningful modes to buttress it, Siege feels slight when compared to its past entries and the other big-name first-person shooter franchises it competes against.” said Matt Bertz in Game Informer’s original review.  “The tactical demands Siege puts on players is unlike anything else on the console market today, and may prove enough for those seeking this flavor of first-person shooter. However, Siege doesn’t do enough to unite players who understand the importance of communication or provide variation in rest of the package.“

Have you played Rainbow Six Siege? Do you like it? Are you still playing and are you going to run Flores? Let us know in the comments!

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Astro’s Playroom Soundtrack Now Available On Streaming Services

….Content…SANITIZED …WzZzzZZzzZzaAapppPPp!!!! 🙂

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Marvel Showcases New Assembled Documentary, Now Streaming

Marvel today shared a trailer for Assembled: The Making of WandaVision, and also premiered the episode on the Disney+ streaming service – so you can go watch it right now. Beyond this initial episode, Assembled is being billed as a broader series that focuses on both Marvel’s TV series, as well as its theatrical releases, so fans can expect to see a lot more from the series in the coming months and years – perhaps sooner than later.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has some major beats on the horizon, including the impending launch of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which is set to premiere its first episode next week, on March 19. The nearness of that premiere to WandaVision’s conclusion strongly suggests that Marvel is looking to keep a steady flow of new content coming to fans, capitalizing on the way many have tuned in every week for a new peek at Wanda and Vision’s troubled suburban life. This new Assembled release drops exactly one week after the previous show concluded, and ahead of the next show’s beginning, acting as a bridge for enthusiasts hungry to learn more about the ever-growing fiction.

The new trailer suggests some interesting insights into the way Wandavision came into being, including the way some episodes included a live studio audience, as well as interviews with the cast about bringing their characters to life in a TV setting for the first time. As a show, WandaVision juggled a number of different tones and styles, hopping between American sitcoms of different decades, and also reflecting plenty of the more superhero action-style sequences that have defined the Marvel Cinematic Universe up to this point.

Are you following along, week to week, as Marvel experiments with episodic streaming TV releases? Did WandaVision make the case for you and convince you to watch the soon-to-release new show focused on Falcon and Winter Soldier?

Check out the trailer for the first episode of Assembled below.

Click here to watch embedded media

 

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Cobra Commander And G.I. Joe Come To World Of Tanks

Cobra Commander and Duke from the G.I. Joe franchise are coming to World of Tanks today. In addition to two new 3D styles for the TS-5 and the T-54, World of Tanks is offering themed missions, decals, and emblems. This crossover also includes a promotion through Amazon’s Prime Gaming, which will offer two unique crew commanders for players beginning March 18. Check out the trailer!

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The Wargaming brand is no stranger to crossovers, with all kinds of bizarre things making the shift to worlds at war, including anime and Transformers lately, so G.I. Joe actually fits the battle brand even better than some of its other recent splashes. The new G.I. Joe Breakthrough Tank and the Cobra Battle Operational Assault adds two new vehicles to the game that fit the universe, based on the TS-5 and the T-54. Nostalgia has been a particularly strong go-to for many brands as of late, as they tap into those childhood vibes from the 80s and 90s with classic cartoons, characters, and flavor. Hey, what’s better than aiming some artillery with Cobra Commander? 

“For years, the characters of G.I. JOE have captured the playtime of an entire generation as they recreated epic battles with toys and imagination,” says publishing director Max Chuvalov. “Now that generation is grown, and there is no better way for them to revisit the joy of G.I. JOE than in World of Tanks! It really is a perfect combination, and we are happy to deliver it!”

Are you playing any of the free-to-play Wargaming titles? My personal favorite right now is World of Warships, where there’s something really satisfying about landing torpedoes, but I know that the World of Tanks is the choice for many who are looking to fire some heavy shells at opponents across a big chunk of land. Have you ever tried any of them? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments!

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Super Replay – Bloodborne Part 1

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Yeah, you read that right. Not only is this the day we’re jumping back into Replay, but we’re also doing it in a big way. Super Replay is back, and we couldn’t think of a better last-gen game to kick off the show with than FromSoftware’s iconic combination of gameplay excellence and incredible world-building in Bloodborne.

While the esteemed developer was already well-known for its work on the seminal Dark Souls series and paving a way for a new sub-genre, Bloodborne was able to capture the attention and imagination of those not as versed in what From had worked on before. Looking back at the official Game Informer review, it’s clear that Bloodborne left an early and lasting mark on those who played it: 

Bloodborne is a blood-drenched horror gem that has only the faintest of cracks in its façade. Bloodborne succeeds through sparse storytelling, lush atmospheres (conjuring up notions of the best of Lovecraft’s work), and tight combat that forces you to be aggressive. While this new IP doesn’t stray far from the established Souls franchise, it is a magical, wondrous work that admirably instills both terror and triumph in those brave enough to delve into it.

The world of Bloodborne is a dangerous and perilous existence, so who would be fit to take on such a journey? As if you even have to ask? Andrew Reiner and Marcus Stewart are joined by the one and only Dan Tack on the sticks as they kick off their adventure through Yharnam.

We’re kicking off the fun at 2 p.m. CT, so be sure to join us in the chat for the start of this amazing journey through one of the best Souls titles on the planet. If you can’t get enough of our live shows, remember to subscribe on YouTubeTwitchTwitter, and Facebook to get notified when we go live each week!