Thursday, May 18, 2017

All the latest from GameSpot On 05/19/2017

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In the 05/19/2017 edition:

Destiny 2 PC Uses Blizzard's Battle.net, Supports 4K And Uncapped Framerates

By Anonymous on May 19, 2017 12:28 am

Destiny 2 will be available on PC exclusively through Blizzard's Battle.net platform, it has been announced.

The news was confirmed during the Destiny 2 reveal event, where Blizzard president Mike Morhaime appeared to confirm that players would be able to use Blizzard's service to download games, explore, and connect with each other. Of course, Battle.net's in-built friends list and chat functionality will work with Destiny 2.

According to a press release, the PC version will offer "4K resolution support (3820x2160), uncapped framerate, full mouse and keyboard support with custom key mapping, text chat, an adjustable field of view, a detailed PC settings screen, and 21:9 monitor support."

The move makes sense given that Destiny 2 is published by Activision, parent company of Blizzard. Battle.net has proven itself to be very robust in handling large online gaming communities, given that is used for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo 3, and Heroes of the Storm, among other titles.

Destiny 2 for PC will be available at retail too, for those that don't want to purchase the game through digitally. However, the game will no doubt still utilise Blizzard's client to run. Destiny 2 is the first third-party title to be available to purchase on Battle.net.

Destiny 2 is headed to PC in addition to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and will offer PS4-exclusive content until at least Fall 2018. An open beta will be available to everyone sometime this summer, but if you pre-order the game you can play the beta early.

Check out our everything we know about Destiny 2 feature for more on the game. You can also see all the biggest news stories from the event below.


Here's What $450 Worth of Corsair's Special Edition RAM Looks Like

By Anonymous on May 19, 2017 12:18 am


Corsair recently sent us its Dominator Platinum Special Edition Torque DDR4 memory. The 32GB RAM kit costs a staggering $449.99, which totally puts it in the overkill category. Let's unbox it and walk you through some of its technical specifications.



The RAM is designed for Intel's X99 and 200-series chipsets. Why are they so expensive? Corsair says that it uses the company's top tier integrated circuits and can safely overclock to 3600MHz as a result.



Taking the sleeve off.



The RAM kit includes a thank-you note from Corsair's CEO.



Inside the box.



For whatever reason, the box includes a microfiber cloth.



The RAM sticks are covered by an adhesive plastic, which we subsequently removed.



The RAM sticks use an anodized aluminum chassis. Corsair says that there are 10 layers to the printed circuit board (PCB), which the company asserts allows for better memory signaling.



If you look closely to the top left corner of the RAM, you'll notice that each kit has a limited number engraved on the side. We got set number 25. Corsair hasn't said how many units it will make, but told us it will have a finite run.



The RAM came in a 4x8GB kit, which allows you to run the memory in a quad-channel configuration for increased memory bandwidth, provided your motherboard supports it.



The heat spreaders features orange accents coupled with a heat-treated aesthetic that attempts to mimic the look of high-performance hot rods.



The sticks use Corsair's Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) cooling technology via its large heat spreaders. Because the sticks are so tall, the RAM may not fit into tight PC configurations that require low-profile memory.



The RAM kit supports Corsair Link, which allows you to monitor temperatures from the OS.



Here's what the RAM looks like plugged in. As you can see, it features built-in lighting above its heat spreaders.



Do you like the look of Corsair's Special Edition RAM kit? Let us know in the comments below.



H1Z1: King Of The Kill Gets Major Update

By Anonymous on May 19, 2017 12:12 am

H1Z1: King Of The Kill is getting a big update today. The massive online PC survival shooter will now have "greater consistency with player movement, positioning, and firing" thanks to improvements to hit registration. You can see some of those changes in update trailer below, along with upgraded graphics and new additions to the world map. There's also a revamped shotgun, which promises to be much more effective.

This latest update brings back Skirmishes, special weekend matches with alternating rule sets (for example, limited weapon types, safe zones, etc.) This update's rule set is called Shotties & Snipers, where players only have access to shotguns and hunting rifles while playing in a Skirmish.

Speaking of shotguns, the weapon will now "connect more consistently with targets when shooting" thanks to changes to the pellet spread.

H1Z1's world map The Arena has three new landmarks for players to fight in and around. Many of the game's buildings have had their interiors adjust to make them easier to navigate, and the game's environments have improved lighting and terrain changes. There are new skins for vehicles too and an overhaul of inventory screens to make them easier to access and understand.

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You can get a look at the full game notes here, but here is a list of the quality of life and big fixes in this latest update:

  • Crafting & Healing timer has been moved so it no longer obscures the crosshair.
  • Items from the Weekend Challenge (5/13 - 5/14) will be granted with this update.
  • When using classic hit markers, the marker will turn bold for headshots
  • Incoming hit sounds should more clearly distinguish headshots from body shots
  • In team games, teammate chevrons have been removed to lessen the visual distraction they were providing. Activate free look (default: alt) to see teammate nameplates at unlimited range.
  • Body armor (laminated and makeshift) now always show up on top of parkas.
  • Players can now disable vehicle degradation sound effects in the useroptions.ini by editing the VehicleDegradationVolume=1 line.
  • When you get a kill, there is a new UI element that will indicate the name and tier of the player you killed as well as any XP gained as a result.
  • Icons on the Main Menu have been added to let you know when you have a new item in your character inventory or when there is a sale in the Marketplace.
  • To make navigation easier, we combined the Unlocked and Locked Crates into a single view.
  • Items in the Appearance menu now show how to acquire the item (Crate, Scrapyard, etc)
  • Ping display in the HUD will update more often than it used to.
  • The Inventory "More Info" panel will now be closed by default.
  • Parachutes should no longer spin when starting a match.
  • Removed collision from arrows once they're stuck in a target to prevent them from blocking other projectiles.
  • You should once again be able to use voice chat after dying using mouse buttons.
  • Stun grenades will now affect players in vehicles.
  • Adjusted the model of the taxi to more precisely match the police car (the collisions were already identical).
  • Fixed camera issues that could occur when entering a vehicle while prone or crouched.
  • Fixed the Twitch Prime offroader skin not correctly applying in-game.
  • Fixed several HUD elements that were displayed incorrectly in some languages.
  • Kill feed should no longer overlap the score elements in team matches.
  • Region should no longer change itself after selecting one then accessing Settings.
  • Fixed an issue where right-clicking on a skin you don't own could cause the item you previously had highlighted to be scrapped.
  • Button prompt to open/close Inventory will now update based on keybinding selection.
  • Pressing escape will now cancel a change in quantity on Inventory stacks.
  • Stack-splitting will no longer lose functionality if the menu is exited after changing quantity.


Destiny 2: All The Gameplay, News, And Videos From Today's Reveal Stream

By Anonymous on May 19, 2017 12:02 am

Bungie showcased Destiny 2 today during a livestream event, which provided us with our first-ever look at gameplay.

More than just, Bungie had a lot of news to share--we learned about the game's open-world activities, changes to weapons, new Supers, and much more. PC players also found out they'll be playing the game through Blizzard's Battle.net platform.

To catch up on everything we learned today, we've rounded up all of our Destiny 2 coverage and videos for you below.

All the Big News

All the Trailers and Gameplay Clips

Before today's big livestream, Bungie had announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."

Destiny 2 is headed to PC in addition to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and will offer PS4-exclusive content until at least Fall 2018. An open beta will be available to everyone sometime this summer, but if you pre-order the game you can play the beta early.


Dynasty Warriors And Other Koei Tecmo Characters Revealed In New Warriors All-Stars Trailer

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 11:52 pm

Warriors All-Stars will be a celebration of the world of its publisher, Koei Tecmo, when it comes out on PC and PlayStation 4 this summer. In the new trailer above, you can get a look at the Tamaki Clan, which brings together characters from Dynasty Warriors, Toukiden, Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Book, and Opoona.

"Summoned from a diverse range of worlds and time periods to save a mysterious land…the champions of Warriors All-Stars find themselves in the middle of a clash for control. When a magical power source dries up after the king's passing, Princess Tamaki performs a ritual to summon saviors in times of dire need," said Koei Tecmo about the upcoming game's plot.

Other characters, yet to be announced, will be summoned by Tamaki's rivals Setsuna and Shiki. The three separate groups will have to battle for dominance of the kingdom.

Players will engage in Key Battles and take on Free Scanarios, where they can access their clan's roster of warriors and craft their team. Koei Tecmo says your choices with those chatacters will affect how the game's story unfolds and how it ends.

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There is also a new Bond system, which allows you to improve the relationships between your characters by having them fight alongside each other and spend time together in the barracks. By achieving a closer bond between them, you'll unlock stronger abilities on the battlefield.

Warriors All-Stars is out August 29. Follow our coverage here to get a look at the next clan of characters as soon as it's released, and check out the latest details on Dynasty Warriors 9, an open-world adaptation of the series now in development for PS4.


Destiny 2 Revamps Weapon System, New Super Abilities Unveiled

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 11:40 pm

In Destiny 2's reveal livestream today, developer Bungie revealed new information about the sequel's revamped weapon system.

Instead of the first game's Primary, Secondary, and Heavy weapon classes, Destiny 2 will channel its guns into Kinetic, Energy, and Power weapon slots.

Power weapons include fusion and sniper rifles, as well as the newly unveiled grenade launchers. Another weapon type, the chaingun, was also revealed today--take a look at it and the grenade launcher below.

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Additionally, Bungie revealed some new Super Abilities, including a sword-based move--called the Dawnblade--for the Warlock character class. The attack allows the player character to leap into the air and pull out a sword that could slam into enemies below, as well as launch projectiles at foes further afield.

Another Super, called Sentinel, showed a Titan summoning a Shield that can be used to hit enemies at close range or thrown at a group of far-away enemies to bounce between them. Lastly, the Arcstrider Super allows you to summon a swingable staff that can also be slammed down onto enemies' heads. Take a look at all the newly unveiled Supers in the gallery above.

Elsewhere in today's livestream, Bungie revealed that Destiny 2 will include official clan support, while the game's open world was also detailed. The developer also spoke about Destiny 2's competitive multiplayer, which will now be limited to 4v4. For more, check out our roundup of all the Destiny 2 news and videos.

Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."

Destiny 2 is headed to PC in addition to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and will offer PS4-exclusive content until at least Fall 2018. An open beta will be available to everyone sometime this summer, but if you pre-order the game you can play the beta early.


DC's New Black Lightning CW Series Reveals Electrifying New Trailer

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 11:35 pm

CW has another series based on a DC Entertainment property coming to the network. Black Lightning follows a high school principal who moonlighted as a superhero. He gave up the costume but found himself drawn back to it when violence escalated in the streets. You can check out the full trailer below.

The series stars Cress Williams (Code Black) as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning alongside China Anne McClain (Grown Ups) and Nafessa Williams (Code Black), who play his daughters, Jennifer and Anissa. The series is produced by Greg Berlanti, who is known for his other comic adaptations on CW: Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, The Flash, and Arrow.

However, although the other DC adaptations exist in the same universe and have crossover episodes, for now, Black Lightning will be on its own: "Black Lightning at this time is not part of the Arrowverse, it's a separate thing," CW's Network president Mark Pedowitz explained (via The Wrap). "It will not be part of a five-way crossover. However, we will be doing another four-way crossover this year."

The character Black Lightning first appeared in Black Lightning #1 in 1977. He was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden. He has an electricity-based powerset, and much like the trailer shows, he's determined to clean up the streets of crime.

At this time, there is no information for when this new series will debut.


For Honor Season 2 Shadow and Might DLC Livestream

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 11:30 pm
The Shinobi and Centurion have been added to For Honor as part of Season 2 so join us as we check them out.

Destiny 2: Watch The Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 11:30 pm

Bungie has revealed the first official gameplay trailer for Destiny 2.

The trailer shows returning characters Cayde-6, Zavala, and Ikora as there is an invasion on the first game's Tower. Watch it above, or check out an alternate version from today's stream below.

For more of today's announcements, check out our roundup of all the Destiny 2 news and videos.

Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."

Destiny 2 is headed to PC in addition to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and will offer PS4-exclusive content until at least Fall 2018. An open beta will be available to everyone sometime this summer, but if you pre-order the game you can play the beta early.

Check out our everything we know about Destiny 2 feature for more on the game.


Destiny 2 Will Have Official Clan Support And Guided Games

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 11:19 pm

Destiny 2 was officially shown off today, and during its reveal stream developer Bungie announced a big change to its cooperative modes: it will have "Guided Games," which is a way for solo players to matchmake with established clans to take on end-game and high-leveled content.

In the first Destiny, Raids and Nightfall Strikes, the hardest and most rewarding activities in the game, did not have matchmaking but required a group of players. Solo players thus did not have the ability to easily access these activities. Now, the Guided Games system allows players to search for clans, read a little about each clan, and choose which one they want to play with. A group of players from the clan then help the solo player through the Nightfall or Raid. In exchange, a group of five players who needs a sixth can use the system to fill that gap.

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In addition, Bungie announced that Destiny 2 will have official in-game clan support. This includes being able to view, organize, and join a clan without having to use the Bungie website. Custom banners will allow clans to customize, as well. Finally, there'll be clan rewards earned by playing the game.

For more on today's announcements, check out our Destiny 2 news and video roundup.

Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."

Destiny 2 is headed to PC in addition to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and will offer PS4-exclusive content until at least Fall 2018. An open beta will be available to everyone sometime this summer, but if you pre-order the game you can play the beta early.


Destiny 2 Open-World Detailed, Activities Can Be Started While On Planets

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 11:09 pm

During Destiny 2's livestream event today, a number of new details were shared, including the first word about how its open-world activities will function.

Bungie insisted that there's now much more to do than in the original Destiny. While exploring, you'll find NPCs who give you side-quests, known as Adventures. These can involve hunting down treasure located on maps and discovering Lost Sectors. Inside these, you'll find a treasure chest and a boss that holds the key to open it. There are also more public events, including those with Heroic objectives for an added challenge.

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In seemingly mundane but extremely exciting news, Destiny 2 allows players to launch all activities from the world without first going to orbit. That includes being able to open the Director and jump from planet to planet.

There are a total of four new worlds to explore in Destiny 2, including Titan, Io, Nessus, and Earth's European Dead Zone.

We also learned today that Destiny 2 limits its Crucible modes to 4v4 gameplay. For all of today's announcements, check out our Destiny 2 news and video roundup.

Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."

Destiny 2 is headed to PC in addition to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and will offer PS4-exclusive content until at least Fall 2018. An open beta will be available to everyone sometime this summer, but if you pre-order the game you can play the beta early.


Destiny 2 Limits Competitive Multiplayer To 4v4

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 10:42 pm

Destiny 2's official reveal stream is going on right now, and developer Bungie announced some big news: it is significantly rebuilding and overhauling its competitive multiplayer.

The Crucible, its competitive multiplayer mode, will only be 4v4. This means that several of the game types from the original Destiny will either not be coming to the new game or will have a different player count. In addition, Bungie is rebuilding the multiplayer's sandbox to focus more on the smaller teams.

The developer is making some tweaks to the HUD, as well. Now, you can see if an enemy has their super charged or currently has heavy ammo.

One of the new modes Bungie announced is called Countdown. No other details were provided.

According to game director Luke Smith, these changes are due to Bungie's desire to rethink "the Crucible from first principles."

For more of today's announcements, check out our roundup of all the Destiny 2 news and videos from the livestream.

Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."

Unlike the first game, Destiny 2 will be available for PC as well as Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Destiny 2 will feature PS4-exclusive content for a limited time until at least Fall 2018. An open beta will be available to everyone sometime this summer, but if you pre-order the game you can play the beta early.

Keep an eye on GameSpot for more news from the Destiny 2 live stream going on right now.


15 Original Streaming Comedy Series You Need To Check Out

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 10:20 pm


We live in an amazing time for television. There are a lot of great shows to binge, and it keeps getting better. We're also seeing a growing market in streaming subscription services, delivering award-winning entertainment.

Every genre under the sun is represented on services like Netflix, Amazon Video, and more but where these services seem to be doing exceptionally well is in comedy. We have plenty of recommendations to keep you glued to your couch from here to eternity, presented to you in alphabetical order.


Bajillion Dollar Properties (Seeso)


You may not be familiar with Seeso, but it is a comedy streaming service full of original programming that's downright hilarious. Bajillion Dollar Properties is one of the streaming service's biggest draws. The faux reality show follows a real estate company, where employees are competing to become partner by selling the most over-priced homes. If you've ever watched one of the many real estate reality shows on television, this is a perfect satire of them.


Bojack Horseman (Netflix)


One of the more successful Netflix original series is the animated comedy Bojack Horseman. Will Arnett voices the titular character, a '90s television star who happens to be a horse. The actor is out of work now and living in Hollywood. Bojack has its fourth season coming to Netflix in 2017. This series is definitely not for kids.


The Grand Tour (Amazon)


Fans may have been bummed to see the hosts of Top Gear part ways with the BBC, but Amazon gave them an exceptionally similar show on their service, and it's called The Grand Tour. The show is packaged as an informational series about cars; however, the banter between the three hosts, along with segments like "Celebrity Brain Crash," where a celebrity dies on the way to being interviewed, are hilarious and worth checking out, even if you're not a automobile enthusiast.


HarmonQuest (Seeso)


Dan Harmon (Community, Rick and Morty) invites his friends from the world of comedy to play Dungeons and Dragons with him in front of a live studio audience. Because looking at a group of people playing D&D would be relatively boring, their adventures are animated. Even if you've never played a fantasy roleplaying game before, HarmonQuest is a good time and provides a ton of laughs.


Hidden America (Seeso)


Much like Bajillion Dollar Properties, Hidden America is a comedic take on the travel series. Host Jonah Ray takes viewers across the country, exploring famous cities and their cultures. The only difference is that everyone he's interviewing is fake, whether it be the owner of a Fraser-themed restaurant or Salem Witch Trial reenactors.


Lady Dynamite (Netflix)


Maria Bamford stars as herself in Lady Dynamite on Netflix. The series revolves around Bamford's life as a comedian, and it's bizarre, hilarious, and one of the most underrated original series on the streaming service. The first season--made up of 12 episodes--is available now with a second season coming this year. If this is up your alley, Bamford has numerous stand-up specials on Netflix well worth your time.


Master of None (Netflix)


Aziz Ansari stars in Master of None. The show follows Dev, an actor in his early 30s, trying to succeed in his career, find love, and live his life in New York City. Both of Ansari's real-life parents (Fatima and Shoukath Ansari) play Dev's parents on the show, and Shoukath steals every scene he is in, especially in the episode when Dev visits him at his work in the hospital. Season 2 was just released, so there is more than enough for you to binge.


The Mindy Project (Hulu)


The Mindy Project may have started on Fox, but Hulu picked up the series for Seasons 4, 5, and 6--which will be the final one. The show follows Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling), who is an OB/GYN in a small practice, surrounded by interesting coworkers. While the show may seem like your typical network comedy, it has a fantastic writing team making the show genuinely funny.


My Brother, My Brother and Me (Seeso)


The Seeso series My Brother, My Brother, and Me is based on the podcast of the same name. Three brothers take questions and offer up advice to the audience. During one episode, they were asked about secret societies and went on the hunt in their hometown for them. What they found was either nothing or a founding father and fictional speedster. Season 1 was released in February and worth watching at least three or four times.


Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Netflix)


MST3K is back, and this time, it's on Netflix. The new season stars Jonah Ray who is trapped on the Satellite of Love and forced to watch bad movies by evil scientists. Luckily, he's got some robot friends to keep him company. If you're unfamiliar with the show, it's just people making fun of bad movies, something we all do, except this show is a whole lot wittier and funnier than you and your friends are. For a more in-depth discussion of the new season, check out our review of the first episode here.


Orange Is The New Black (Netflix)


Orange is the New Black is one of the series--along with House of Cards--that put Netflix on the map, in terms of original programming. The show follows Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a woman sentenced to prison for transporting money to her drug dealer girlfriend a decade prior. Four seasons are currently available on Netflix, with a fifth debuting on June 9.


Red Oaks (Amazon)


Set during the '80s, Red Oaks follows a college student named David (Craig Roberts) who teaches tennis at a country club between his sophomore and junior years. The show continues the '80s comedy genre that may look dated but certainly doesn't feel it. It's a comedic look at the decade that doesn't rely on the times to push the jokes forward.


The Tick (Amazon)


The comic book turned beloved animated series The Tick found new life on Amazon last year. The show follows the nigh-invulnerable superhero on his quest to save the city from villains. During Amazon's pilot season, a single episode of the show aired, which showed an incredible amount of potential. It hit a lot of the notes of the original Fox animated series, and this August, The Tick will get a full first season. If you're interested in the new show, you can check out our review of the pilot here.


Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)


The delightful and hilarious Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt follows the titular character (played by Ellie Kemper) on her adventures in New York City. The kicker is that she was raised in a doomsday cult and has never experienced the real world. The audience gets to see a lot of Kimmy's firsts, like getting an apartment and finding a job. It's a lot of fun, and Kimmy's roomate--Titus Andromedon--tends to steal the show. The third season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt debuts on May 19.


W/ Bob & David (Netflix)


Finally, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross join forces once again for a sketch comedy series, but this time, it's on Netflix. While the show has a different title, it feels like a continuation of HBO's Mr. Show, which was way ahead of its time. Currently, there hasn't been any news of a second season, and the first one only consists of four episodes. However, you'll find yourself watching and rewatching it until we hopefully get Season 2.



New Life Is Strange Game Officially Announced

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 10:03 pm

A new Life Is Strange game is currently in the works, developer Dontnod confirmed today.

In a video, Michel Koch, Raoul Barbet, and Luc Baghadoust from Dontnod expressed their thanks to the community that had bought the original Life Is Strange and announced that they're now working on a follow-up. In addition, they revealed that over three million people had purchased the first game.

Dontnod didn't give any other details for the new title and did not say if it would retain the episodic format of Life Is Strange. In a blog post, the developer also stated that it would not be at E3.

"We can't wait to tell you all about it when the time is right, but for now we are hard at work ensuring it is the very best game we can create," the post reads. "We're really thankful for your patience thus far and ask for a bit more time."

A follow-up to the first game hasn't exactly been a secret; members of Dontnod have hinted in the past at a second season. However, this is the first time that Dontnod has officially announced a new installment.

Life Is Strange, originally released back in 2015 for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC, is an episodic narrative adventure game that follows the life of teenager Max Caulfield.


Thumper Review

By Anonymous on May 18, 2017 09:52 pm

Update: The review text has been amended to reflect our experience with the Switch version of Thumper. Please scroll to the bottom to find the updated content.

Despite recent efforts to revive brands like Rock Band and Amplitude, there's a general sense that we've been there and done that when it comes to rhythm games. The staleness of the genre was a concern going into Thumper. It's a game that runs on rails, where you have to time button presses to match a beat that grows increasingly fast and complex over time, with the primary gimmick being that it's layered with trippy visuals. But those details don't tell the whole story. Thumper is like most rhythm games you've played before, but it's also a powerful, moving experience--especially in VR--that stands out as something completely different from its forebears.

Imagine for a second that you're a chrome-plated beetle participating in a life-or-death luge race set in a tangled web of undulating cables, iridescent halos, and laser beams. In one ear, the menacing sound of taiko drums bang away, while the other is fed oppressive industrial riffs and beats. The tracks are dangerously slick and fast, and the only way to survive is to give yourself up to the beat--allow it to command your instincts to lean into sudden turns and hit markers at the right time. Anything short of a total bond between yourself and the track will lead to dimmed reflexes resulting in life-ending collisions. Success is surviving long enough to meet the the boss--a disembodied flaming head with piercing eyes and spiked florets emerging from all sides. He beckons, you respond, and you pray your muscles can react fast enough beat him senseless at his own game, matching every beat he sends your way.

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Granted, that may sound like a creative way to interpret what amounts to a simple rhythm game, but just because it sounds fantastical and flowery doesn't mean it's purely imaginative. You aren't challenged to create music in Thumper as much as you are to keep up with the obstacles it dictates; what amounts to beats or notes in other games is treated differently here.

Most of the time, you're forced to act in other ways--at an incredible rate of speed. When taking a steep curve, you have to press a button and move the analog stick to grind the wall. Fail to hold the turn long enough or hit the correct button, and you crash. Spiked sections require you to jump, while a series of barriers can only be passed when you hold down the "beat" button. You may also find your track expand to multiple lanes while a phalanx of technopedes float into your path, forcing you to shift from side to side without hesitation.

The big difference here is that you aren't forced to fill in a song to succeed. For example, you aren't always required to hit a button when a beat icon--for lack of a better term--appears on a track. The two exceptions are during the boss battle at the end of each stage and when a ring floats around the track waiting to punish you with an unavoidable attack for missing your mark under its watch. But these moments arise infrequently.

Thumper is about survival under the guidance of music--and less about actually creating music. Beats and notes telegraph incoming obstacles, planting a seed in your subconscious only fractions of a second before you have to react. Tuning into this is critical during later levels where unavoidable obstacles fly by a mile a minute, and the process is thrilling to see in action as you frantically react, somehow survive, and ultimately inform the depth of the song at hand.

If you hesitate to take action even in the slightest, Thumper will make short work of you. It's dangerously fast. In the span of a single second, you may have to take three turns, jump over a pit, and slam down from midair on top of an incoming beat marker. There are optional opportunities to improve your score or rating--such as jumping to hit floating rings--but making unnecessary moves is like tempting fate. Fail to input the correct button combinations at the precise moments that actually matter, and you're liable to hit a barrier, lose your sense of the beat and the track, and careen into a wall. That said, when you take the chance and come out unscathed, it's thoroughly rewarding to know that you went above and beyond Thumper's already challenging demands.

Immersion is a tall claim, but it's one that Thumper realizes. As a game that's playable both on a TV and in VR, this really only holds true for the latter, but again, it's a step above most "immersive" experiences we've seen before. Thumper thumps, bangs, and pummels you with intense percussion. It's as if you're facing the front lines of an army that intimidates their enemies with massive drums, and when things are at their most intense, it lays into you with high-pitched, droning sounds that rake at your psyche.

Enveloped in corridors of light or swimming in a sea of darkness where faint, mechanical devils perform an intimidating dance, Thumper is truly captivating to behold, moving at commanding rate of speed that's difficult to shake. During a moment of solace, you may realize that you don't remember exactly what happened in the preceding moments. Yet there you are, speeding down the track to your next death-defying performance.

Thumper's only hang-up is the repeated use of musical measures or track designs. Each level, which is divided into a few dozen segments on average, occasionally bears too strong of a resemblance to past stages. This issue is softened due to the effective nature of the game at large, but when it happens, you can't help but wonder what could have been given a little more musical variety.

It sounds odd to claim that a lack of consistently original music wouldn't be a major problem for a rhythm game, but music isn't the point. Thumper thrives due to the way it marries speed, simple controls, and mesmerizing atmosphere. It's far more convincing in VR, where you're enveloped in the game's space and free of distractions from the outside world, but it shouldn't be ignored by those without the appropriate hardware. Thumper, no matter how you play it, is too good to miss.

Thumper has now made its way to Nintendo Switch, where it remains every bit as enjoyable to play on a monitor (at 1080p 60fps) as it is on PS4 and PC. Surprisingly little has been sacrificed in the transition to the portable console, and in some ways the fact that you can now hold it close by undocking the Switch makes it a slightly more immersive experience than sitting feet away from your TV. If VR isn't something you have access to or want to invest in, the Switch version of Thumper is arguably the second best route to experience everything this impressive and brutal rhythm game has to offer.


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