Bethesda continues to iron out issues in Fallout 76, with a couple of new patches on the way for the game soon. In a new post on its website, the developer shared details on some of the tweaks and changes it'll be rolling out for the online RPG this month.
The first update is slated to arrive next week, on January 14. This one will focus primarily on making further improvements to the game's performance and stability. Bethesda says the patch will also resolve a number of issues that have been raised by players, such as fixing exploits and tweaking Perks and weapons. Full patch notes will be shared next week.
Beyond that, Bethesda is working on another patch that it plans to launch "near the end of the month." This one will likewise focus on making community-requested fixes for various issues in the game, among them the number of plans that Vendors have available and other problems with Perks.
Bethesda has many other features and fixes in store for Fallout 76 this year. The developer had previously teased that it will introduce new quests, Vault openings, weekly events, and other content to the game in 2019, as well as a new PvP mode. On top of that, Bethesda says it will implement Player Vending, suggesting that users will be able to sell their unwanted loot for in-game currency.
As a thank-you to fans, last month Bethesda announced it is giving away the Fallout Classic Collection for PC to anyone who logged into the full version of Fallout 76 on any platform in 2018. The gift is now available for those who've qualified and can be downloaded through the Bethesda Launcher. Full instructions on how to grab the game can be found here.
Though it's still freezing outside, Sony's holiday season heated up the competition, selling more than 90 million PS4s as of December 31. In addition to being the fourth best-selling console of all time--currently behind the Wii, PlayStation, and PlayStation 2--Sony has announced that Insomniac Games' Spider-Man has sold 9 million units digitally and physically as of November 25. To shed more light on the rest of the company's stellar holiday season, Sony has released an official list of its top downloads for December 2018.
Leading the pack of PlayStation 4 games is PUBG Corporation's battle royale title PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, which launched on December 7. Following that is Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 which has its own battle royale mode, Blackout. In third is Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V, a game that released during the last console generation and is still, ostensibly, making the studio a lot of money.
Moving over to PlayStation VR, it's Beat Games' Beat Saber on top. Second to the lightsaber rhythm game is Owlchemy Labs'Job Simulator, a game that released nearly three years ago. Placing in third is SIE London Studio's PlayStation VR Worlds, a compilation of games Sony released alongside the company's virtual reality headset back in October 2016.
On the free-to-play side of the PlayStation Store is, of course, Epic Games' Fortnite--no surprise there. Taking the second spot is Crytek Kiev's Warface. Following in third is yet another battle royale game, Daybreak Game Company's H1Z1: Battle Royale.
Ever since its inception, Xbox Game Pass has been a simple, money-saving way to play a wide selection of Xbox One and backwards-compatible titles. Now, with a new promotion Microsoft has just kicked off, you can earn Microsoft Rewards points by playing any Xbox Game Pass games of your choice. You can then spend those points in a variety of ways, including purchasing games and DLC, and renewing your membership.
It's all part of Xbox Game Pass quests, which let you earn up to 2,100 Microsoft Rewards points between now and February 3. To start earning, go into the Xbox Game Pass membership area on your Xbox One and click on quests to see what's available. This is also where you can go to track your progress on the quests.
New quests will be available each month, with the next set going live on February 4. Here are January's quests, as listed on Xbox Wire:
Extraction Expert: Complete two specific extraction achievements in Tom Clancy's The Division to get up to 200 points. You earn points with each achievement. Complete this before January 31.
Metro Redux: Play Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux to complete four specific achievements and get up to 200 points. You earn points with each achievement.
Adventurer: Bring out your inner adventurer and get up to 200 points when you complete two specific achievements in Strange Brigade. You earn points with each achievement.
Achievement Hunter: Get points with your first achievement and continue to complete up to 21 achievements in any combination of Xbox Game Pass games to get a maximum of 600 points.
Genre Explorer: Get 300 points when you complete an achievement in three games from different genres.
Play something new: Complete an achievement in a Xbox Game Pass title that was added in December to get 100 points.
Quest Master: Complete all Xbox Game Pass quests to get an additional 500 points.
Microsoft Reward points can be redeemed for all kinds of things, including Xbox subscriptions and gift cards, as well as entering sweepstakes for a chance to win valuable prizes. Microsoft says 5,000 Reward points are roughly equal to $5, so you'll have to complete a number of quests over the months to earn a substantial amount of value from them. Still, quests could be a fun way to get more from your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service that grants members access to a library of over 100 games that are playable on Xbox One--though Xbox head Phil Spencer would eventually like the service to come to "every device."
The games available include many first-party titles, like the Gears of War series, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 4, plus day-one access to all upcoming games published by Microsoft, including Crackdown 3. It also has a collection of third-party titles, with new games being added each month. You can find the full list here. Subscriptions cost $1 for your first month, and $10 for each additional month.
Ubisoft has announced the PC version of The Division 2 will release solely on the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store. So, unlike the original The Division, Ubisoft's upcoming third-person shooter is skipping out on releasing on Steam.
This won't be the only Ubisoft title that Epic steals away from Steam either. In a blog post, Epic revealed that it is partnering with Ubisoft "on additional select titles." Those games have not yet been announced, but Epic did tease that information would come out "during the coming year." Epic and Ubisoft's partnership might set a new precedent for major developers picking one PC game store over others, changing the PC gaming landscape to more closely reflect the scramble for first-party exclusives seen on consoles.
Ubisoft previously released the system requirements for the PC version of The Division 2, revealing the different specifications you'll need to run the game at bare minimum, recommended, high, and elite performance. Each performance type requirement is listed below.
Less than one day after announcing its initial roster, All Elite Wrestling is creating some major waves in the world of professional wrestling, even causing some interesting changes within WWE. As GameSpot previously reported, former WWE superstar Chris Jericho signed with AEW, essentially making the new company his United States wrestling home.
Almost immediately, WWE responded by moving the four-time World Champion's biography to the alumni section of its website. The most notable change came a couple hours later, though, when Smackdown Live went on the air. At the beginning of the broadcast, the WWE signature video package played, but Jericho's face was mysteriously absent.
Jericho has appeared in numerous signature videos over the years and was still present when the short introductory clip that proclaims WWE is "then, now, and forever" the night before on Raw. However, as of the January 8 episode of Smackdown, he's been replaced by The Bar members Sheamus and Cesaro. The change was first noted by a Twitter user.
The move makes sense on WWE's part, as this is the first time since his debut for the company in 1996 that he's signed to a group that could be seen as competition in the United States market. Thus far, his only real non-WWE wrestling appearances have been for New Japan Pro Wrestling and as part of his own Rock and Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise.
Now that he's, in his own words, signed to AEW "for the long haul," WWE distancing themselves from him and instead promoting an act they have under contract is logical. However, it just goes to show how interesting professional wrestling is becoming.
Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, who launched AEW with Jacksonville Jaguars owners Tony Khan and Shahid Khan, have repeatedly said they want to change the world of professional wrestling. While overtaking WWE and becoming the biggest pro wrestling company on the planet might be impossible, with names like Jericho on the roster and the promise of an equal scale of pay for male and female performers, they're certainly giving it their all.
What remains to be seen is how the product will be presented. While the first major show--Double of Nothing on May 25--has been announced, AEW has yet to mention whether they have any sort of deal in place to distribute regular programming. Of course, the company could always go the same route Cody and the Bucks have used in the past. Their All In pay-per-view was available via streaming, with a pre-show that aired on WGN America.
Ubisoft's upcoming open-world action RPG, The Division 2, is coming to PC alongside the PS4 and Xbox One versions, and with its release approaching, the company has revealed the level of hardware you'll need to play it on computer. The PC specs cover a wide range of hardware depending on the type of experience you're shooting for.
At the low end is the Minimum tier, which would have the game running at 1080p and 30 FPS. For that, you'll need either an Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-6350 paired with 8 GB of RAM and either an Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 or AMD Radeon R9 270 with 2 GB of VRAM.
Jumping up to the high end, the Elite tier--4K and 60 FPS--calls for much more expensive components, as you'd expect. You'll need a Core i9-7900X or Ryzen 7 2700X, 16 GB of RAM, and a brand-new video card--an RTX 2080 Ti or Radeon VII with 11 GB of VRAM. You can get a rundown on four different sets of specs below.
The trailer above showcases some of the PC-specific features that are available. Aside from the aforementioned 4K support, you can have an uncapped frame rate or use ultrawide monitors or multi-monitor setups.
The Division 2's release date is set for March 15, and you can read more about its launch in our pre-order guide. Alongside news of the specs, we've just learned the PC version of The Division 2 will be skipping Steam in favor of launching through the Epic Games store. By pre-ordering this (or the console versions), you'll gain access to a private beta ahead of the game's release.
The recently revealed Alien: Blackout mobile game has been given a release date. The iOS and Android title will launch on the App Store and Google Play on January 24.
The game is seemingly a spin-off of Creative Assembly's 2014 title Alien: Isolation. In Blackout, Amanda Ripley once again faces a fight to survive aboard a Weyland-Yutani space station infested with aliens.
"The terror of Alien is brought to life in Alien: Blackout," reads co-developer D3 Go's website. "Try to stay alive while trapped aboard a crippled Weyland-Yutani space station carrying a deadly Xenomorph as it tirelessly hunts you and the crew.
"Outsmart the perfect hunter by making perilous choices. Players must rely on the damaged controls of the space station or risk sacrificing crew members to avoid deadly contact, permanently altering the outcome of the game."
Players will be tasked with surviving seven levels by guiding Ripley's crew through "increasingly challenging tasks using only the station's emergency system." Contending with a limited power supply, survival will require players to effectively operate a holographic map, surveillance cameras, and motion trackers to stay hidden and out of the Xenomorph's clutches.
In addition, more stories starring Amanda Ripley, the daughter of the original films' protagonist, Ellen Ripley, may be on the way soon. Amanda was the player character in Isolation, which took place 15 years after the events of the original 1979 film. In that game, Amanda went with a Weyland-Yutani team to Sevastopol Station, a distant space station in the process of being decommissioned, after the flight recorder was recovered from Ellen's destroyed ship, the Nostromo. While Amanda eventually got hold of the recorder, she also went through the same ordeal as her mother, when an alien began picking off the people of Sevastopol one by one. Alien: Blackout appears to pick up the story from there, with Amanda trying to fend off another alien in a place called Mendel Station while still pursuing answers about what happened to Ellen.
The tweets from Alien Anthology teasing the new game use the hashtags #AmandaRipley and #ReadPlayWatch, suggesting there's more to do with Amanda's story than just play it. In fact, the latest tweet emphasizes the "watch" part of the hashtag with capitalized letters, unlike other messages from the same account.
A few Kansas City fans were treated to the biggest game of Mario Kart you've ever seen. A sports reporter for local station KCTV5 was doing helicopter shots of the Kansas City Royals' Kauffman stadium when he noticed a massive game being played on the stadium's enormous screen.
The reporter, Tom Martin, later updated by amplifying a reply from the Royals Charities account. That reply stated that it was part of an associates fundraiser, and teasing that a video game party could come as an auction sometime this year. In the video, you can clearly see Mario racing through Mario Kart Stadium, the first track in the Mushroom Cup of Mario Kart 8.
we sent our helicopter out to get aerials of Arrowhead Stadium and on its way there it noticed a game of Mario Kart had broken out on the Crown Vision board at Kauffman Stadium?? 😂 pic.twitter.com/rOy0icieVi
The high-definition scoreboard at Kauffman stadium is nicknamed "Crown Vision," and comes in at 84 feet wide by 105 feet tall. It is one of the largest HD LED displays in the world. Of course, those dimensions aren't exactly similar to that of your TV, so the game looks a little off in the footage.
As for the choice of game, Mario Kart 8 is apropos. Not only does the footage show off a race inside a stadium, but the game itself is well-regarded and was one of the first Wii U ports to make the trip to Nintendo Switch. That Switch port received a positive review of its own, for some of its small tweaks to an already great foundation.
"Even if you didn't really care about Battle Mode, the smallest changes in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe refine an already great racing game," critic Kallie Plagge said in GameSpot's review. "But the huge overhaul to the original's afterthought of a Battle Mode is a chaotic, varied opportunity to play very differently than in Grand Prix mode and well worth reinvesting yourself in Mario Kart 8 on Switch."
Metro Exodus is set to arrive on PS4, Xbox One, and PC next month, and like many of today's biggest releases, it'll be available in both standard and deluxe editions. Ahead of its launch, publisher Deep Silver has announced another special collector's version of the game, but this one will be so rare that you won't be able to buy it anywhere.
Dubbed the Artyom Custom Edition, the package comes with a copy of the Metro Exodus Aurora edition, as well as a variety of physical items based on the ones protagonist Artyom uses in the game, including a functional Nixie watch, gas mask, working bullet lighter, and leather map. The package is also housed in a steel ammo crate and comes with a letter of authenticity signed by Metro author Dmitry Glukhovsky.
Only 10 of the Metro Exodus Artyom Custom Edition have been produced, one of which was gifted to game developer 4A Games. Deep Silver says the remaining nine will be given away to fans through a series of promotions. These will be revealed on the game's official website.
If you're looking to upgrade to a 4K console, Microsoft also recently announced a new Metro Saga bundle, which comes with 1TB Xbox One X, one-month trials of both Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold, and digital copies of Metro Exodus as well as its two predecessors, Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux. The bundle releases in February and retails for $499.
Metro Exodus launches on February 15, one week earlier than it was originally scheduled to. The game is set several years after Last Light and follows Artyom and his companions as they trek across a post-nuclear-war Russia. You can read more about the game's various editions in our Metro Exodus pre-order guide.
New Super Mario Bros. U was a somewhat unappreciated Wii U launch title, but with its Switch remaster nearly out in the wild, will the platformer find a new lease on life? Is it a worthy addition to the Switch's growing catalogue of exclusive games? Will Mario finally save Princess Peach? The answers to all these questions and more can be found in our review roundup below.
Our own New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe review says "Deluxe is well worth playing, especially if you didn't get a chance to play NSMBU on Wii U." Be sure to check out the full review, or check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for a wider view of critics' views on the game.
Game: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Developer / Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release date: January 11
Price: US $60 / £50 / AU $80
GameSpot -- 7/10
"Despite its aging formula, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is still a great entry in the series, with its typically tight platforming and both accessibility and depth to spare. While it can feel a bit stale for those who have been round the Mushroom Kingdom one too many times before, Deluxe is well worth playing, especially if you didn't get a chance to play NSMBU on Wii U." -- Oscar Dayus [Full review]
GamesRadar+ -- 4.5/5
"If you get into a habit of doing that quick save, it's not too inconvenient and it's such a small niggle for a game that is so utterly wonderful. With New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe the year of Nintendo Switch games is off to an incredibly strong start." -- Sam Loveridge [Full review]
Game Informer -- 8.5/10
"With so many stages to explore and master, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a terrific way to experience this game again or for the first time. Toadette is a good addition for less-experienced players, and she makes some of the star coins easier to reach. While I'm disappointed that this release doesn't include more additions to the original package, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is still a great game at its core." -- Brian Shea [Full review]
IGN -- 8.0/10
"New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a broadly approachable and feature-rich platforming game. Toadette is a welcome addition to the roster for those after a more forgiving way to tackle some of the more challenging levels, and the inclusion of the New Super Luigi U mode extends its lifespan substantially. While there are a number of other Nintendo Switch games within the genre that outdo New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe in various different ways, it nonetheless remains a highly enjoyable platforming package as a whole." -- Tristan Ogilvie [Full review]
The Guardian -- 3/5
"The further you delve into New Super Mario Bros U, the more rewarding it becomes. Its final worlds hold some of its best levels, and there are plenty of fun secrets to enliven the second or third attempt at a level. But it's hard to summon the motivation to devote that much time to it. It's typically well-made and enjoyable, but next to the best of the Mario series, it's unmemorable." -- Keza MacDonald [Full review]
The most famous dinosaur in the Mushroom Kingdom is gearing up to star in a new game on Nintendo Switch. It's Yoshi's Crafted World, a colorful platformer that's set to release on March 29. But you don't have to wait that long to lock down your copy. You can already pre-order Yoshi's Crafted World from a number of retailers. Here's what to expect from the game and where you can find it.
Yoshi's Crafted World kicks off when Kamek and Baby Bowser try to steal a powerful gem-infused stone. Unfortunately for them, the gems become scattered across the land, leaving Yoshi to collect them. Thus begins your adventure through a world made from craft items like cardboard, paper cups, and construction paper.
Each level is strewn with collectibles like coins and Poochy Pups, and can be flipped around and played through backwards once you reach the end. As you play, you'll collect costumes you can dress Yoshi in to add a layer of protection. A second player can join in for couch co-op using a second Joy-Con, and the game has a Mellow mode that makes it easier to play for young kids and newcomers.
No Pre-Order Bonus or Special Editions
So far, no retailers have announced any pre-order bonuses for Yoshi's Crafted World. And unlike many games these days, no special editions seem to be planned, either. That might be a bummer for collectors, but at least it makes it easy to choose which version to buy.
At the time of this writing, Amazon has the best pre-order price for Yoshi's Crafted World, but you can also find it at several other retailers.
Ready at Dawn, the studio behind The Order: 1886 and the God of War PSP games, is staffing up in preparation for development on a new triple-A game. According to the announcement released on its Twitter, it's seeking a wide variety of positions across design, engineering, and programming.
The RAD careers page lists two separate projects these positions could be working on: continuing to support Lone Echo for its ongoing partnership with Oculus Rift, and "a new AAA third-person action console title, based on a brand new original IP."
The replies from fans to its tweet are largely hoping for a sequel to The Order, but the mention of an entirely new IP makes that unlikely. The Order: 1886 took place in a steampunk Victorian London and centered around the legendary Knights of the Round Table. While it got some credit for its world-building, reviews were mixed on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
"It is, at best, perfectly playable, and lovely to look at and listen to," critic Kevin VanOrd said in GameSpot's review. "But it is also the face of mediocrity and missed opportunities. A bad game can make a case for itself. A boring one is harder to forgive."
Lone Echo, by comparison, was much better received. The virtual reality project was an Oculus exclusive, but it received generally positive reviews on Metacritic as a VR showpiece.
By Anonymous on Jan 09, 2019 02:30 pm Check out some gameplay of Peachette making her way through the Layer Cake Desert in the Switch version of New Super Mario Bros. U!
Of all the New Super Mario Bros. games, beginning with the 2006 DS title, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is probably the one least deserving of the "New" moniker. It is, after all, a Switch remaster of the Wii U launch title, and although some new features and the New Super Luigi U expansion are included in this capable repackaging of an already great game, it's getting tougher to justify calling this series New with each passing entry.
There's no doubt the formula works; the 2D Marios continue to boast the best platforming of any game series, with accessible controls and inventive obstacles complementing the best-feeling jump in video games. And as with the Wii U version, NSMBU is inventive from start to finish, with the mid-game Soda Jungle world being one of the best Mario environments ever. However, we've done all this before, haven't we? You start off with a grassy world, then a desert one, then a snowy one, then a water one, repeat ad infinitum.
Once upon a time I found this repetition comforting. But U Deluxe is a victim of its 3D cousins' success: It now exists on the same console as Super Mario Odyssey, which is possibly the finest 3D platformer ever made. By comparison, NSMBU Deluxe feels a little… ordinary. By the numbers. Safe. Where Odyssey confidently transported us to fresh worlds filled with moons and stars and dinosaurs an uncanny valley New York, NSMBU suffers from a lack of originality.
That's not to say it's boring--no, not by any stretch. Within the restraints of a New Super Mario Bros. game, Nintendo does a wonderful job of thinking up new enemies and hurdles for you to overcome, with each level offering a new electrifying critter, weight-limited transport or water-filled safety net. Latter worlds plateau at a satisfying level of difficulty that never becomes frustrating but still gives you a rush when you succeed, while star coins remain available to collect for those who want an extra challenge. Ghost houses can still absolutely get lost, though.
The Switch remaster also adds a new item, the super crown, which transforms Toadette into a version of Peach with special powers. She can double jump, for instance, as well as use her trademark dress to float downwards. Other characters, however, cannot use the super crown, which, as well as denying the internet the Bowsette it so dearly desires, is a strange exclusion. Toadette is denoted as "easy" in the main menu, where Mario, Luigi, and Toad are normal difficulty and Nabbit is "very easy." You can change characters outside of any level throughout the game, but it strikes me as an odd choice--why keep Peach's powers isolated to one difficulty level?
Once you inevitably defeat Bowser--spoilers!--a post-game opens up, offering super-hard levels only unlocked for those who collect every star coin throughout each of the game's eight worlds. From the start you can also access special challenges, such as dodging fireballs for a certain amount of time or triple-jumping to coin glory, as well as the aforementioned New Super Luigi U. The Luigi-led expansion remixes each level from the main game to be shorter but harder, and Luigi himself changes to have a higher jump but slower--and thus trickier--reaction times. NSLU is the most substantial mode outside of the main game, and it's thankfully unlocked from the start for those seeking a challenge.
Despite its aging formula, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is still a great entry in the series, with its typically tight platforming and both accessibility and depth to spare. While it can feel a bit stale for those who have been round the Mushroom Kingdom one too many times before, Deluxe is well worth playing, especially if you didn't get a chance to play NSMBU on Wii U.
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