Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is already in the hands of some players at home, with a full release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12. A handful of players, on the other hand, got a unique gameplay experience instead. They got to try the game at the Black Ops House in London, inside "the world's darkest room" for a totally immersive CoD experience.
Activision partnered with a company called Surrey NanoSystems to design the room, which is covered in Vantablack VBx2 coating, a material that absorbs nearly 100 percent of natural light in an area. The end result for the players was the ability to play the game with absolutely nothing being visible in the room except the screen and game in front of them. Get a look at their creation in the video below.
Black Ops 4 is the seventh Call of Duty game, and is the first to lack a traditional single-player campaign. In its place are story-driven individual missions that each focus on one of Black Ops 4's multiplayer Specialists, similar to the Operator missions from Rainbow Six Siege. Black Ops 4 is the sequel to Black Ops 2, and the prequel to Black Ops 3, with missions taking place between 2025 and 2065.
There is also a brand new Blackout mode (which inspired the above blackout experience, no doubt). It closely resembles other battle royale games in many ways; up to 100 players drop onto a map and battle until only one player or team remains. Players collect weapons, equipment, and vehicles from their environment, and of course, the area in which players can survive shrinks over time, pushing you into closer quarters with your enemies.
The co-op Zombies mode is also returning in Black Ops 4. You can play two separate storylines in the mode, one called Aether that follows the Zombies storylines from past Black Ops games and a second, called Chaos, which features new characters Scarlett, Stanton, Diego, and Bruno. For more game details, including info on how to pre-order, check out everything we know about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Epic's hit battle royale game, Fortnite, made its long-awaited debut on Android earlier this summer, but up until now, it has only been available to users who received an invite for the beta. That has changed, and now all Android owners can download the Fortnite beta even without an invitation, provided they have a compatible device. Here's how you can jump in.
Unlike most other games available on Android, Fortnite can't be downloaded through the Google Play store. Epic had previously announced that it is bypassing Google's app store and offering the game to fans directly through its own website. If you want to download Fortnite on Android, all you'll need to do is go here on your phone and scan the QR code when prompted.
As previously noted, Fortnite won't be compatible with all Android devices. You'll need to have a "recent high-end Android smartphone" in order to run the game. Fortunately, there's a fairly long list of supported devices outlined here and on Epic's FAQ page, and even if you don't have one of the phones listed there, you may still be able to run the game if your device meets the following recommended minimum specs:
OS: Recommended Android 8.0 or higher, 64 bit
RAM: 3GB or higher (Recommended 4 GB)
GPU: Adreno 530 or higher, Mali-G71 MP20, Mali-G72 MP12 or higher
Part of the reason Epic is skipping Google Play with Fortnite's release is to bypass the 30% "store tax" applied to all purchases. The developer also says this move allows it to "bring its games directly to customers," but it isn't without some drawbacks. Namely, it leaves the game susceptible to security risks, while some Android apps that promise free V-Bucks and other cheats are actually phishing schemes.
Fortnite is currently in the third week of Season 6, bringing a new set of weekly challenges to complete across all platforms. You can find tips for all of the tasks available thus far in our Season 6 challenge roundup. Completing these earns you Battle Stars, which in turn levels up your Battle Pass and unlocks special cosmetic items and other rewards, such as the new Pets. You can everything that's up for grabs in our Season 6 rewards gallery.
Fortnite has opened its Android beta to all users now, no longer requiring an invite. Alongside the release announcement, Epic gave a list of supported devices and recommended system specs, so you can check if yours is up to snuff.
According to the FAQ, a long list of Samsung Galaxy, Sony, and Google Pixel devices are supported, along with some from other companies like Asus, LG, and Nokia. You can see the full list below. If your phone isn't on the list, don't lose heart. It could still work as long as its specs are up to snuff. The studio recommends the following minimum system specs for your Android device to play Fortnite:
OS: Recommended Android 8.0 or higher, 64 bit
RAM: 3GB or higher (Recommended 4 GB)
GPU: Adreno 530 or higher, Mali-G71 MP20, Mali-G72 MP12 or higher
Android and iOS players are matched against other mobile players, and for the time being bluetooth controllers and mouse-and-keyboard control schemes are not supported.
Uber Eats has a Call of Duty promotion going on this weekend in England that sounds too good to be true. Just for ordering a fish and chips meal, you can get a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on PlayStation 4 for free. It's the "Cod for CoD" deal (get it?), and it's available at participating Harry Ramsden restaurants via Uber Eats.
All you have to do is open the Uber Eats app between October 12-14, order the "Cod for CoD" bundle deal for just £7.99(!), and you'll get a fried fish meal delivered to your address, along with a download code for the full game. The deal is good for as long as supplies last.
There's one big drawback, of course. The deal is only available from participating locations found in Manchester, Birmingham, and London Victoria. If you're lucky enough to live within Uber Eats delivery distance of one of the participating restaurants, I'd advise placing your order as early as possible on October 12. Who knows how many codes will be handed out, and at a price like that, it's bound to be a popular promotion.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches October 12 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. While this year's installment is skipping a traditional campaign, it comes with a full Zombies mode, a set of single-player challenges, and a battle royale mode called Blackout that's inspired by games like PUBG and Fortnite.
The Xbox One October update is rolling out today, offering a few new bells and whistles for the Microsoft console. The features in this update allow you to use more voice interactions, more easily watch HDR movies with streaming services, and personalize your Avatar.
The Xbox Skill feature lets you interact with your Xbox using Alexa or Cortana devices, with a greater degree of precision than the previous Kinect voice commands. As an example, Microsoft says you can tell Alexa to "launch Forza Horizon 4" and in response the Xbox One will start up, sign you in, and launch the game, all without additional commands needed. Other commands include starting Mixer broadcasts, capturing screenshots, and adjusting the volume. You'll need to download the Xbox Skill in the respective stores to get started.
To promote the new functionality, Amazon will be offering a bundle that includes an Amazon Echo Dot with new Xbox One S or Xbox One X purchases. That deal is coming soon, but supplies will be limited.
The newly revised Avatars are available for all users today as well. These have a focus on inclusiveness, with a greater range of body types, more accessories, and the ability to dress in any kind of clothing you'd like. You'll see the new Avatars on your own profile, in the activity feed and Gamerscore leaderboard, and more. You can use a Photobooth to take a picture of your Avatar to use as your profile image. Plus, if you want to stick with your original Avatar, that option is available too.
The update also adds Dolby Vision HDR streaming across supported televisions. For now it supports Netflix only, but Dolby Vision will expand to more apps in the coming months. You can enable it through the Settings menu. Finally the Narrator has added Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, Dutch, and Australian English.
Scarlett Johansson appears to be making a healthy amount for her upcoming solo Black Widow film. The star is reportedly set to earn $15 million, which would be equal the payouts for Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth in both Avengers: Infinity War and their own starring roles movies, Captain America: Civil War and Thor: Ragnarok.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that most actors in the Marvel cinematic universe have made much less for their initial standalone movies. Robert Downey Jr. made just $500,000 for the first Iron Man, while Chadwick Boseman is said to have pulled down $2 million for the first Black Panther. Brie Larson is making $5 million for the upcoming Captain Marvel, with a reported seven-picture deal (which Larson disputes). Then again, this won't be Johansson's first time around as Black Widow, as the character has been a mainstay in Marvel's team-up films for years.
The news comes as Hollywood's actresses are applying more pressure on studios to pay them the same as their male counterparts. Some actors like Benedict Cumberbatch have publicly said they'll refuse roles that do not give equal pay to his female counterparts in solidarity.
A spokesperson for Marvel told THR, "Marvel Studios disputes the accuracy of these numbers, and as a matter of policy, we never publicly disclose salaries or deal terms." Black Widow will be directed by Cate Shortland (Lore). She was the ultimate pick after interviewing a list of more than 70 potential picks to direct. A release date hasn't been announced. Black Widow will next appear in 2019's Avengers 4, which will presumably resolve the plot threads left by Infinity War.
Fortnite: Battle Royale's challenges for Week 3 of Season 6 are now available, which means it's time to get back on the grind and get those precious Battle Stars. As a refresher, completing these challenges reward you with Battle Stars which, in turn, level up your Battle Pass and allow you to unlock the sweet, sweet cosmetics for your character. Challenges are available in two sets, with one for all players to do and another just for those that have paid for a Battle Pass.
In the free to everyone section, this week's challenges involve reviving a player in five different matches, getting one Damage Trap elimination, and starting the multi-stage challenge by searching a chest in Lonely Lodge. That's all self-explanatory, though the Damage Trap elimination may take some perseverance.
In the paid Battle Pass section, there's some trickier ones, the first of which is a multi-stage challenge that begins with visiting Risky Reels and Wailing Woods in a single match. On top of that you'll need to hit a player with a Tomato from 15m or more away, eliminate an opponent in 10 different matches, and complete timed trials. Take a look at all the challenges for Season 6, Week 3 below.
Fortnite Season 6, Week 3 Challenges
Free Challenges
Revive a player in different matches (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Search a chest in Lonely Lodge (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Damage Trap Eliminations (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Stage 1: Visit Risky Reels and Wailing Woods in a single match (2) -- 5 Battle Star
Hit a player with a Tomato 20m away or more (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Complete timed trials (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate an opponent in different matches (10) -- 10 Battle Stars
These aren't the only challenges that are available to do this week, as developer Epic Games has also rolled out a set of Halloween-themed unlocks to acquire. While the Skull Trooper (Male), Skull Ranger (Female) skin, Skull Sickle Harvesting Tool, and Crypt Cruiser Glider are available to purchase in store, in order to get the Ghost Portal Back Bling you'll need to complete the Skull Trooper Challenges.
It's been a busy week for Fortnite as, along with the two sets of challenges, Epic has also launched Fortnite Update 6.02. This new patch introduces a Limited-Time Mode called Disco Domination as well as the new Quad Launcher weapon. You can read all about those, as well as the other tweaks and changes made, in the Fortnite 6.02 patch notes.
Alongside Fortnite's 6.02 update, developer Epic Games has dropped in a few new cosmetics to the game's shop, and some accompanying challenges that will unlock a special Back Bling. On the skin side, it's a popular returning outfit that comes just in time for Halloween season.
The in-game shop now has the Skull Trooper (Male) and Skull Ranger (Female) skins. The former is 1500 V-Bucks, while the latter is 1200 V-Bucks. The Skull Trooper is a returning skin, except this time it can be customized to have a white or green. Those that already had the Skull Trooper skin can also pick a purple look. The Skull Ranger, meanwhile, is completely new.
On top of those to there's the Skull Sickle Harvesting Tool, which will set you back 1200 V-Bucks, and the Crypt Cruiser Epic Glider for 1200 V-Bucks. However, if you want that Ghost Portal Back Bling you'll have to do five challenges. In the tweet below you can see a character outfitted with all the new goodies. Notice that the new Back Bling emits ghostly apparitions of other skins, which is pretty cool.
Patch v6.02 is available now with a return from beyond the grave! The Skull Squad Gear is available now. Complete challenges to earn the Ghost Portal Back Bling. pic.twitter.com/Yy5B0MDO32
Although the challenges for the Back Bling are going to be quite a time investment, you'll also get some experience points and Battle Stars along the way. You can see the challenges, as well as the new cosmetics, below. These are separate from the standard Week 3 challenges, which include one that has you complete timed trials.
Skull Trooper Challenges
Complete 7 Daily Challenges (7)
Play Matches (50)
Play matches with at least one elimination (14)
Search 10 chests in a single match (10)
Deal damage to opponents in a single match (1000)
These won't be the only new challenges for the week, as the usual weekly set is expected to arrive tomorrow, October 11. While we'll have to wait until then to see exactly what players will need to do to get their hands on the Battle Stars, leaks have provided some indication of what the challenges may be.
Click image to view in full screen
Fortnite Update 6.02, meanwhile, adds a new Limited-Time Mode called Disco Domination to the game. In this, players travel to dance floors around the map and then, as you can probably guess, dance. This raises a disco ball over the dance floor, which, when it reaches the top, indicates a floor has been captured. In turn a progress bar appears and the first team to reach 100 percent capture stat on this bar wins. You can find out more about Disco Domination, as well as the new Quad Launcher weapon, in the Fortnite 6.02 patch notes.
If, for some reason, you need a break from playing Overwatch, but you still want to do something Overwatch related, Lego has you covered. Blizzard is teaming up with Lego to produce Overwatch sets, kicking things off with Bastion.
The Omnic Unit with a heart of gold--or a soul to be more specific--is the first character to get the Lego treatment. The new set retails on Blizzard's website for $25 or can be picked up on-site at BlizzCon 2018 at the Anaheim Convention Center November 2-3.
When built, the figure stands at four inches (12cm) tall and consists of 182 pieces. The characters arms are movable, and it swivels at the waist, and of course, it comes with a sub machine gun for its right arm. Don't worry, Bastion's bird companion Ganymede is here as well.
The Blizzard exclusive is a first in a new collection of Overwatch Lego sets, which should release sometime in 2019. No formal release date has been set, but there is a page on Lego's website for it. Lego has given some teasers to what we can expect, which included Widowmaker, Reinhardt, Genji, Soldier 76, Mercy, and McCree minifigures.
Overwatch just got a big update to kick off the Halloween Terror 2018 event and that it introduces new skins, all themed around the spooky holiday season.
The annual Overwatch Halloween Terror event returns for 2018, and it's live right now. As always, its release means Blizzard has added a variety of new cosmetic rewards to obtain. The highlight, of course, are the nine new skins--including six Legendary ones--for the game's vast array of heroes and villains. While some of these simply dress someone up in a Halloween costume, a few transform their corresponding character into a frightful monster.
Undead McCree and Spider Widowmaker--both Epic skins--are among the new options introduced for Overwatch's 2018 event. There are also Legendary skins, such as Jack-O'Lantern Wrecking Ball and Swamp Monster Doomfist. Like previous years, skins can be found in limited-time loot boxes or be bought for 3000 credits. The Halloween-themed skins from previous years, meanwhile, are offered at a discount. Halloween Terror 2018 is now live and continues until October 31. Once it's over, you'll have to wait for next year to unlock any skins you missed.
Click through the images above to see all the new skins that have been released for this year's event. You can also check our video showcasing all the new skins. If you're eager to get your hands on some, buying a bundle of 50 loot boxes will net you 10 bonus ones for free.
Halloween Terror's PvE mode, Junkenstein's Revenge, has also r eturned. Taking place in an alternate reality, Junkenstein's Revenge tells the story of Dr. Junkenstein (Junkrat) and the Witch of the Wilds (Mercy) attempting to take over the fictional kingdom of Adlersbrunn. Their schemes are thwarted by a team of heroes composed of the Alchemist (Ana), the Gunslinger (McCree), the Archer (Hanzo), the Soldier (Solder 76), the Countess (Widowmaker), the Swordsman (Genji), the Monk (Zenyatta), and the Viking (Torbjorn).
Alongside this, there's an alternate version called Junkenstein's Revenge: Endless Night that mixes up the formula. For 2018, there are now 10 options for who you can play as. The new additions to the rotation are Tracer and Brigitte. The update introducing the event also makes a variety of changes to characters, as detailed in the patch notes--most notably, it reworks Torbjorn.
Thursday marks the weekly refresh of challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale, and the latest is no exception. Week 3 of Season 6 is now live with a fresh slate of seven challenges to complete between now and the end of the season. One of these in particular may prove to be difficult, as you'l need to track down and complete various timed trials. We've put together a quick guide, video (above), and map to help you get it done quickly; here's where to go and what to do.
The challenge in question is complete timed trials, which you may remember from Season 5, when this type of challenge made its debut. What you need to do and the process for completing it hasn't changed since then, so here's a breakdown. Scattered around the island are blue stopwatch collectibles and, when you pick one up, you'll have an allotted amount of time to grab the rest of the them that appear in the area. If you're new to this, it may take some trial and error as some of the collectibles require you to build your way up to them. Naturally, this means you'll have to have the relevant resources on hand to craft the necessary platforms. In some areas it can also be advantageous to hop in a vehicle to get it done quick, so you'll have to get a feel for whether that's the case and then grab an ATK.
When it comes to finding the location of the timed trials, we recommend going for the other challenges first, but keeping your eyes peeled for the blue stopwatch pickups. In particular, the "search a chest in Lonely Lodge" and "visit Risky Reels and Wailing Woods" challenges are good trials to have as the main focus. These two challenges involve travelling around the map, so you're likely to run into some trials along the way. This is a great way of streamlining the challenge completion process. Thankfully, there's plenty of timed trials scattered around the island. The ones we found are listed below, along with screenshots of their locations.
Click image to view in full screen
Outside Tomato Temple (Between G3 and G4)
Left of Dusty Divot (F5)
Hilltop south of Tilted Towers (D6)
Bridge near Shifty Shifts (D8)
Villains Hideout (Between B4 and B5)
Once you've completed three of the timed trials, you'll get yourself 10 precious Battle Stars. The rest of the challenges shouldn't be as difficult. Take a look at our full rundown of Season 6, Week 3's challenges for more information on those.
Fortnite is currently feeling a bit spooky for Halloween, and if you want to be extra effective at putting the fear in other Fortnite players, developer Epic Games has released a bunch of new cosmetic that are worth checking out. These include the Skull Trooper skin, which makes its long-awaited return with a few extra customization options. There's also the new Skull Ranger skin for the female character model, the Skull Sickle Harvesting Tool essential for that harbinger of doom look, and the Crypt Cruiser Glider so you look like death floating around the skies of Fortnite. These can all be purchased through the in-game store using V-Bucks.
However, the hottest Fortnite in-game item this Halloween is undoubtedly the Ghost Portal Back Bling, which emits ghostly apparitions of other skins. To get this you'll need to complete the Skull Trooper Challenges, which will take a fair bit of dedication. You can see all the Skull Trooper Challenges and new cosmetics here.
If you need a break from the challenge grind, Epic has introduced a new Limited-Time Mode called Disco Domination. This mode tasks two teams with taking control over the most number of dance floors on the Island. Naturally, to secure a dance floor you've got to dance long enough to raise a disco ball. This mode was added as part of update 6.02, which also included the new Quad Launcher weapon. You can read about both of these additions, as well as other tweaks and changes in the Fortnite update 6.02 patch notes.
Disney's deal to buy the majority of Fox's entertainment assets may be finalised in a matter of months. Variety reports that Fox executive Peter Rice informed employees this week that the logistics of the buyout--including things like how the payroll changeover will happen--should be in place by January 1.
After that, the deal is expected to officially close in the first half of 2019. There is also the matter of approval from regulatory bodies, which could affect the acquisition timeline.
Rice held a town hall meeting on the Fox lot where employees were given the opportunity to ask questions. Rice reportedly said the move will result in layoffs, with sources at the meeting telling Variety that the job cuts will come from divisions getting acquired by Disney and less at those that aren't, such as Fox Sports, Fox News, and Fox Broadcasting.
The question of culture clash also came up, and Rice pointed out that Disney successfully welcomed companies like Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel into the fold, with each company retaining its independence and culture to some degree.
Still, the topic of impending layoffs looms large for Fox employees ahead of the buyout. One staffer told Variety that working at Fox right now is like being on death row.
Disney is paying an enormous $71.3 billion to acquire the majority of Fox's entertainment assets. Disney will get the 21st Century Fox movie and TV studios, as well as a number of cable TV networks and international TV businesses. As mentioned, Fox News and Fox Sports are not part of the deal, and will instead remain with a company called New Fox. As part of the deal, Disney will get big-name properties such as X-Men, Avatar, and The Simpsons.
Rare has announced a new update for Sea of Thieves that adds a new type of quest to the action-adventure pirate simulation. Update 1.3.1 also patches some of the game's bugs and makes quality-of-life improvements.
The new type of quest is called Cargo Runs and completing them allows you to rank up in the Merchant Alliance. The mission parameters are relatively simple. After selecting a Cargo Run contract, you need to find the cargo in question, obtain it by whatever means you deem necessary, and take it to its destination. You're rated on speed and how well you handled the goods, so if you want the best possible reward, you'll need to travel as fast as you can while also being careful to not damage the cargo.
Update 1.3.1 makes several other changes to preexisting features and mechanics. The new Cargo Runs are now always included in Athena's Fortune voyages. From now on, rowboats will take more damage from Gunpowder Barrels, and you'll be able to push your rowboat if it happens to get stuck under an environmental obstacle. It's also much more worth your time to pursue Skeleton Ships, as the reward for defeating Skeleton Captain-led ships has doubled.
For the full Update 1.3.1 patch notes, including known issues that Rare is working, check out Sea of Thieves' main website. We've listed the major issues that Update 1.3.1 fixes below. Sea of Thieves is available for Xbox One and PC.
Sea of Thieves Update 1.3.1 Fixed Issues
Rowboats now cast appropriate reflections in water.
Rowboats no longer get damaged when detaching from a ship.
Player sitting in the middle of the Rowboat can now see players sitting at the back of the Rowboat.
Removed overlapping audio when rowing.
Damaged Rowboats no longer appear pristine upon returning to them after venturing far away.
Rowboats no longer inherit damage decals from other sources (such as damaged ships or shipwrecks) when in close vicinity.
Looking as far left/right as possible whilst rowing a Rowboat will no longer result in the camera becoming occasionally unlocked and rotating 360 degrees.
When placing larger items on the Rowboat, water splash VFX will no longer occur.
Audio when rowing a Rowboat over large distances (especially the squeaking) is now less repetitive.
Available titles now show up in the clothing shop on Morrow's Peak Outpost.
Fixed issue with horizontal water planes being cut off whilst a ship is sinking.
Players no longer get permanently drunk when migrating servers whilst holding the Chest of a Thousand Grogs.
Players should no longer get an unfinishable riddle quest on Fetcher's Rest.
Audio will no longer drop out when climbing the ladder onto a Brigantine.
View Gamer Card option under Crew Settings will now respond correctly to a left mouse click.
Geysers will no longer appear on top of chests.
Flooding at the back of a Sloop will appear visually correct when sinking.
The ocean will appear completely black when a Kraken encounter begins.
Looking through the scope of an Eye of Reach will no longer trigger the sound effect multiple times.
Upon loading into a session, the loading music will now commence as soon as the loading screen appears.
Sailing away from your ship on a Rowboat will no longer cause a mermaid to spawn.
The ocean will no longer appear separated from the sky when viewing the horizon from within a storm.
The glow of the Kraken lantern will no longer appear too bright in HDR.
Sail ropes will no longer appear disjointed from the sails when a player returns from the Ferry.
There is no longer a gap at the bottom of the volcano on Devil's Thirst.
Collision has been corrected on the Devil's Thirst volcano so players can no longer fall into the model.
Player will no longer temporarily lose access to some ship barrels if their first banana, plank or cannonball of the session is washed up or given to them.
Available titles now correctly appear in the clothing shop on Morrow's Peak Outpost.
Titles will no longer incorrectly appear on Seaposts.
Ever since Bethesda announced its newest game in the Fallout series, it's been difficult to get a sense of what Fallout 76--an online-only RPG--is all about. While the concept of an online Fallout experience is enticing, it also comes into conflict with the series' typical brand of role-playing. Though Fallout 76 does lessen those traditionally single-player details to a noticeable degree, it offers up an alluring opportunity to explore uncharted, irradiated territory with other players online.
With the pivot to multiplayer, Fallout 76 focuses a lot more on exploration and survival in West Virginia's Appalachia, with all its regional oddities and newfound horrors coming in large doses. Recently, we played three hours of the game ahead of the game's upcoming October beta, and spoke with developers from Bethesda Game Studios about the particular challenges of making a different kind of Fallout.
During the first hour, I got my bearings by taking a tour around the immediate area, even joining a group to take in all the sights. Fallout 76 has the familiar RPG mechanics and sense of exploration that the series is known for, but it also has more of an amusement park vibe--with several key attractions and locales clearly highlighted on the map, such as The Greenbrier Resort and the Top of the World ski-slope. While exploring Fallout's take on West Virginia, which is several times larger than the Commonwealth of Fallout 4, I got the feeling that I was sort of experiencing the greatest hits of all things Fallout. First came the familiar weapons and armor found from previous games, then came the feral ghouls, the Super Mutants, and references to the Brotherhood of Steel and Enclave.
Still, the new location in West Virginia feels totally different from Fallout 4's Capital Wasteland and the Mojave from New Vegas, which quickly introduces its own brand of locales and strange monsters that reside there. Along with weird monsters like enlarged ticks, three-headed possums, and even Mole Men, there are other monsters that reference West Virginian urban legends. This includes the headless, hulking Grafton Monster and the enigmatic Mothman, the latter of which is revered by the hostile cabal of Scorched, heavily irradiated humans who eventually evolve into ghouls of sound mind.
For the most part, combat and general movement handle similarly to Fallout 4. However, the new mechanics and survival systems at play felt somewhat overwhelming to get a handle during our introduction. In 76, much of the tutorial happens in a trial by fire scenario in the open world, where you'll have to follow the early moments of the quests closely in order to learn the new mechanics, all while fighting off enemies and scavenging resources. While I appreciated the quick pace at which players are whisked out of the vault, picking up some meager supplies along the way, I felt that the on-boarding process could be a bit more detailed--it made me feel mostly unprepared as I was scrambling to find any weapon I could get my hands on.
With the new online focus, some returning mechanics have seen some changes. For instance, Fallout's iconic V.A.T.S.--allowing you to target enemies and fire off precisely-aimed shots--now operates in real-time. It acts more like a real-time lock-on--with your weapon's hit-rate adjusting depending on the enemy's movement or their surroundings. This style of V.A.T.S. definitely took some getting used to. Mostly to the fact that enemies move around often, and combined with the awkward focus of the V.A.T.S. camera, it was jarring to actually use it during a fight. Because of this, I mostly stuck with standard aiming and shooting, which felt more reliable during engagements. While you can upgrade V.A.T.S. with perks to make it more effective, it feels more like an option that should be used sparingly.
Fallout 76's survival mechanics take many cues from Fallout 4's more challenging Survival mode. In addition to keeping your character well fed on a regular basis, you'll also have to avoid ailments and diseases--such as contracting the oddly named but still troubling Rad Worms. Some enemies and locations even carry specific diseases, which create added risks to watch out for when exploring. These illnesses range from diseases that sap your maximum health, action points, and the general damage resistances for your character, to even increasing your susceptibility to radiation.
With a large emphasis on survival, nearly every item and resource you can get your hands on feels much more valuable. Nothing really lasts too long in Fallout 76--even the buffs from Bobbleheads and skill magazines only last a short time--so every tool you have will inevitably be discarded for something new. As you're scavenging through the open world, you'll find junk items, scraps, and crafting plans that can be turned into new gear and building materials for your constructions. Some of these materials can create bizarre weapons like the Heated Pitchfork or Ski-Sword--a single ski sharpened to form a blade. But over time, weapons and armor will eventually need to be repaired or broken down into materials for other items. Moreover, cooking and chem stations now have a greater importance, allowing you to prepare meals and craft support items.
Character growth is still the core part of Fallout 76, and it offers an impressive amount of variety and flexibility. After leveling up, you can place points into the familiar categories of the SPECIAL system, each of which boost areas of your character's raw stats. Eventually, you'll acquire a pack of Perk Cards that can offer special buffs in their assigned categories. For example, the Gladiator perk card is a Strength card which increases damage with melee weapons, while Lead Belly can decrease the radiation from drinking contaminated water. The more points you have in a category, the more Perk Cards you can potentially slot in, giving you a whole suite of added buffs. At any time, you can swap out your set of Perk Cards to readjust your character, to better prepare for different challenges.
In keeping with the game's focus on pioneering, the building mechanics from Fallout 4 also return. Now known as the C.A.M.P. system, you have in your possession a mobile construction device that allows you create a building at any time--provided that it doesn't overlap with existing structures. You have free rein to construct whatever you like, whether that be subtle safe-houses for you to stash supplies, or even larger mega-structures that house turrets and a dedicated place to relax. If you ever want to pack up and move elsewhere, you can save your structure as a blueprint and dismantle it. This can come in handy if your chosen spot becomes too popular with other players.
The biggest point of contention with Fallout 76's online nature is its lack of NPCs and slimmed down story, now serve to highlight the focus on moment-to-moment engagements with enemies and other players. This lack of traditional interactions and storytelling felt more noticeable the deeper we dove into the world. While you're certainly free to play solo and avoid other players--and we definitely took the opportunity to strike out on our own, leading to those familiar moments of solitude and wanderlust, you'll always be a potential target within the online world.
Having said that, I couldn't help but feel intrigued by the re-focus here. Lore and smaller doses of story are still in surprisingly ample supply, but told passively through the environment and journals scattered about. While there are no active NPC characters to find--with exception to roaming robots that can offer trades and intel--you'll eventually stumble across the bodies of long-dead survivors who have had a notable presence in the world. In their possession are special holotapes known Survivor Stories, detailing the last moments of their lives in the irradiated wilderness.
These stories told some interesting tales for the characters in Appalachia, which had some poignant and heartfelt moments to them--which was reassuring given the fragmented nature of the storytelling in 76. Speaking with design director Emil Paglliarulo, he elaborated on their refocus to make Fallout more about engaging with others players.
"We started off with the premise where the only other people you see are the ones that came from the vault," he said. "We've also never had the opportunity to do a game that's set twenty-five years after the bombs fell, it's always been two-hundred something years after. Now, we have the stories of the people that survived the initial war, and we've never been able to tell those stories before. Of course without NPCs or no dialog trees--which was a huge adjustment for our quest designers, as they were used to doing it a certain way--and now the lore-heavy stuff comes from holo-tapes, which now has its own tab in the Pip-Boy. That's been really interesting for us. And what ended up happening is that we ended up having a much more lonely story than in Fallout 4. All of these people that you do [learn about] are dead already, and it's almost like a weird ghost story. We didn't expect that."
Whether you want to play solo or within a group, player interaction is a big part of the game. Encountering another person after rounding the corner or reaching the end of a dungeon creates some genuinely tense feelings--not knowing what intentions the other player in front of you has. To communicate with others, Fallout 76 features a variety of in-game emotes to use and proximity based voice-chat. During our session, however, we used Xbox Live's party chat client to stay in constant communication with our group--which won't be the case for most players online.
When playing in groups, communication is important, and the emotes and proximity chat are a great way to get your point across. This is especially vital when grouping up for some of the more active quests that task you with overcoming some bizarre obstacles, such as finding the keys to an armory in a makeshift town built out of a destroyed aircraft, or finding out a mob of "unruly golfer feral ghouls" at a ritzy resort that's still maintained by protectotrons. This can lead to some humorous and equally tense moments where players are scrambling to rely on their team's special skills to progress further.
Once you reach level 5, Fallout 76's PvP systems open up. When you encounter another player that's over level 5, you can fire your weapon at them to let them know of your intentions. If they return fire, then you'll both engage in a duel, with the loser dropping their current haul of junk items--no caps or gear is lost after a defeat. When shooting at a player that hasn't engaged in response, all damage will be cut in half, which gives them enough time to react. It's possible to kill another player who is not into the idea of fighting, and appropriately enough, this backhanded approach will mark you as a murderer, painting a massive target on your back for all players in the world to see.
Our group of level 5 explorers tried to take down a level-58 player in power armor in similar fashion, but it didn't go over well at all as he easily decimated the group with a high-powered Tesla Rifle. While damage calculations scale for enemies, allowing low-level players to potentially take out monsters several levels ahead of them, it does not for PvP engagements. However, if you wish to avoid PvP, or if a player is bugging you too much, you can block them or fast-travel to safety fairly easily. So far, the system in place is a thoughtful way to overcome the potential harassment that can often spring up with this type of game.
To cap off our hands-on time, the developers launched a nuke, which obliterates specific areas of the map. We all had front row seats to the explosion, and then proceeded to jump into the ensuing fallout--with its heavy radiation promptly killing us off one-by-one. As one of the larger end-game goals in Fallout 76, activating a nuke can lead to new events in the irradiated areas, revealing rare materials and dangerous enemies to fight. It also highlights the more dynamic nature of Fallout 76, with many of its narrative touches informed by the player's decisions in the world.
The scale of Fallout 76 seemed impressive based on the first few hours. The location of West Virginia--and all its oddities--was exciting to dive into, which felt refreshing after coming off of Fallout 4's Commonwealth. However, much like previous Fallout games, there were a number of odd bugs and large frame-rate dips that occurred throughout. This was especially noticeable during larger fire fights against large groups of enemies, which brought overall performance down to a slog. The developers we spoke to, however, assured us that the performance will be improved in time for its November 14 launch.
76 certainly isn't like other Fallout games. After our three hours, I got the impression that Bethesda is taking a risky approach with the series in regards to its lore and its core gameplay. With its heavy focus on survival gameplay and the online experience, I suspect that this largely experimental take on Fallout will become a rather polarizing entry. Though the mechanics were somewhat overwhelming to get a handle of, I can't deny that I enjoyed exploring the large map and engaging in the mysterious, post-apocalyptic take on West Virginia. Fallout 76 looks like it can flourish in the long-term, and I'm interested in what can come about after many hours in its off-kilter and ever-changing setting.
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