By Jimmy Thang on May 11, 2017 09:30 pm
Microsoft recently revealed the specs for its Xbox Project Scorpio, so we thought it would be fun to build a PC inspired by the company's upcoming console (check out the video here). While we won't be able to recreate the system exactly using off-the-shelf PC parts, since Microsoft uses heavily customized components, it helps that the Project Scorpio is based on the PC's x86 architecture. We're also going to benchmark our rig to get a rough approximation of how games might run on Project Scorpio. Walking You Through Our Xbox Project Scorpio PC BuildOur Xbox Project Scorpio build is actually going to be very similar to our PS4 Pro-inspired PC we built last September. Our new graphics card, the AMD Radeon RX 580, is the most significant change, and because it's more powerful than the RX 480 we used in our PS4 Pro-inspired PC, we're also upgrading our power supply. Let's take a look at all of our components.
Graphics Card
Project Scorpio uses a six teraflop GPU based on AMD's Polaris architecture. Considering AMD's recently released Radeon RX 580 is a 6.1 teraflop graphics card that's also based on Polaris, we think it's a great fit for our build here. These GPUs aren't exactly the same, mind you. Project's Scorpio uses an integrated graphics solution that offers 2569 shaders, which is more than the RX 580's equivalent 2304, but the RX 580 has a higher 1257MHz core clock, and tops the console's 1172MHz speed. Microsoft's upcoming console has 12GB of GDDR5 RAM, but only eight gigabytes of it is relegated to the GPU (For reference, the PS4 Pro has 8GB of GDDR5 RAM total). Fortunately for our purpose, the RX 580 graphics card is also equipped with 8GB of GDDR5 video memory. This helps us achieve VRAM parity. Finally, both GPUs also support 4K, HDR, and HDMI 2.0.
Central Processing Unit
Project Scorpio uses a heavily-custom eight-core AMD CPU. Reports suggest that it's not based on AMD's more recent eight-core Ryzen processors, but are more similar to the company's Jaguar-based accelerated processing units. On the PC side of things, APUs usually take the form of more entry-level dual or quad-core processors that trade in CPU performance for a little more integrated graphics power, but considering we're using a dedicated video card, we won't be tapping into any integrated graphics. This means choosing an equivalent CPU isn't easy, but we do think there is a compelling case for AMD's 2012-released FX-8350 CPU, which released right around the company's Jaguar-based APUs. Like Project Scorpio's system-on-a-chip (SOC), the FX-8350 offers eight CPU cores. While most games aren't optimized to use more than four cores, Microsoft says that it's burgeoning DirectX 12 API will be able to leverage more CPU cores in games that take advantage of it. The FX-8350 4GHz core clock speed does make it faster than Project Scorpio's 2.3GHz frequency, but considering our computer has to run a full-fledged desktop operating system (Windows 10) on top of the games, there's a case for having some extra processing power here.
Cooler
Microsoft hasn't always used the best coolers (Xbox 360, we're looking at you). While Project Scorpio doesn't use a fancy water cooler, Microsoft asserts that its upcoming console uses a high-end vapor-chamber cooler, which will help keep the console cool and quiet. Though the FX-8350 comes with a stock cooler, it's anything but premium, and often sounds like a leaf blower. To help us achieve a little parity in the cooling department, we went with AMD's higher-end Wraith air cooler.
Motherboard
For our motherboard, we went with Gigabyte's 970A-UD3P, which offers the AMD AM3+ socket support we need for our CPU. It also offers high quality audio capacitors coupled with an audio noise guard, which should help us get close to parity with Microsoft's claim that Project Scorpio will offer high quality audio.
RAM
Compared to traditional PCs, Project Scorpio's RAM setup is very unconventional. The console uses 12GB of GDDR5 memory, which is a RAM type that's relegated to graphics cards in the PC space. Microsoft says that eight of the 12GB will be dedicated to Project Scorpio's GPU. PCs, on the other hand, use the slower DDR RAM that's better at handling all-around computing tasks. Because we can't use GDDR5 as system RAM, we opted to use 8GB of the slower DDR3 memory, which is clocked at 1600MHz. While you can argue we should use only 4GB of system RAM, because DDR3 is slower, coupled with the fact that our rig has a heavier desktop OS to carry, we figured 8GB of DDR3 represents a reasonable compromise. For any respectable gaming PC, 4GB is not enough. In general, if you have a ton of RAM, it most likely won't make your gaming PC any faster, but if you don't have enough, it can create an unnecessary bottleneck. That's something we wanted to avoid.
Storage
Project Scorpio will offer a one terabyte hard drive. Considering Microsoft's Xbox One S featured a 5,400rpm solution, we're going to assume that Project Scorpio's HDD is going to be the same. As a result, we went with a 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive from Western Digital.
Power Supply
Project Scorpio will use a 245-watt integrated PSU that Microsoft asserts is very power-efficient. While our EVGA Supernova solution carries a noticeably higher 550-watt output, it offers enough juice to power our system. It, too, is also very power efficient with its 80 Plus Gold rating.
Case
Right now, we don't know what Microsoft's upcoming console will look like exactly. Images of the developer kits make it look somewhat similar to the company's Xbox One S console with its mostly white and black look. Our mid-tower Deepcool Tesseract case will probably be a bit larger than Project Scorpio's chassis, but it offers enough space to house all of our components. Aesthetically, it's also mostly white and black.
Benchmarks
The completed build
Considering Microsoft is heavily touting Project Scorpio as a "true 4K" capable console, we wanted to test that claim. We chose half a dozen games available on both the PC and Xbox One, and analyzed how they performed across a wide variety of graphical presets at 4K resolution.
Forza Horizon 3
Microsoft worked with developer Turn 10 Studios to show off Project Scorpio running an unreleased build of Forza at 4K with a 60FPS framerate. While we don't have access to that build, 2016's Forza Horizon 3 is on the PC. When we ran the racing game at its ultra preset, it achieved a 35 average FPS. While it was playable, it didn't hit the 60FPS mark. It wasn't until we cranked the settings down to the low preset did we start to hit 60. And for whatever reason, we started to see a lot of in-game artifacting here, though that may reflect more on the PC port or AMD's drivers than our system. It is important to note that Forza Horizon 3, with its open world setting, may not be truly representative of the build that Turn 10 recently produced. There's also a chance that the developer has access to low level APIs that would make Project Scorpio run the game's engine more efficiently.
Gears of War 4
Considering Gears of War is one of Microsoft's leading exclusive franchises, it was a no-brainer for us to test Gears of War 4, which came out late last year. Fortunately, the PC port of the game has a built-in benchmark. When we ran Gears at its ultra preset at 4K, it achieved a 27 average FPS. Considering most people don't consider anything below 30 FPS to be playable, we cranked the preset down to high. Here, it achieved a 37.5 average FPS, which crosses that playable threshold. The frame rate was also pretty consistent, so we can definitely see Project Scorpio running the game at 4K with these approximate settings. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get the game running above 60 average FPS. Even on the lowest preset, where textures looked noticeably worse, the PC averaged just 53.8 FPS. This could speak to the quality of the PC port, but as it stands, unless Microsoft can make some significant optimizations, we doubt Project Scorpio will consistently hit 60FPS at 4K with Gears of War 4.
Overwatch
Overwatch is not very graphically demanding. When we ran Blizzard's first-person shooter at its ultra preset, our rig averaged 64 FPS. It did hit a low of 44, however, but it was still highly playable overall. We can see Overwatch running in 4K at max settings, or something close to it, on Project Scorpio with smooth framerates.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the few PC games at the moment that support DX12. When we ran the game's benchmark at its max preset with 4x anti-aliasing enabled, it averaged 12.2 FPS. That's super choppy. It's important to note that AA is very graphically demanding and makes much less sense at 4K, where the ultra high resolution inherently mitigates most of the jaggies for you. When we disable AA and set the game to its high preset, our rig achieved a 36 average FPS, which is playable. When we lowered the preset to medium, the average frame rate went up to 40.6. Attempting to see if we could reach 60 average FPS at 4K, we turned the settings down to its lowest preset, where it averaged 50.8 FPS. This makes us think Project Scorpio probably won't run Rise of the Tomb Raider at 60 FPS. If we had to guess, it will probably target around 30 FPS with graphical fidelity set somewhere between high and medium.
Fallout 4
At Microsoft's E3 press conference last year, we saw Fallout 4 featured in Project Scorpio's announcement video, so we wanted to benchmark Bethesda's open-world RPG on our rig. When we ran the game at its highest preset, it achieved a 39.2 average FPS. It did dip below the 30FPS playable threshold with a low of 28, however. When we disabled anti-aliasing at 4K, the average rose to 45.3 and the game never dipped below 39 FPS. This makes us believe that Project Scorpio can almost max out Fallout 4 shy of a few sensible performance tweaks. Could our rig handle the game at 60FPS? Yes, but we had to turn down the settings to the game's lowest preset to accomplish this.
VR benchmark
Microsoft also asserts that Project Scorpio is a console that's capable of delivering "high fidelity" VR, so we put it through the SteamVR benchmark. Here, it scored a "high" 7.4 score. According to Valve, this classifies it as "VR-ready" rig.
Conclusion
Due to hardware and software limitations, you shouldn't expect our Project Scorpio-inspired PC to run exactly like Microsoft's upcoming console, but we think there are enough sensible similarities here that should give us a rough ballpark figure of performance. Analyzing the results of our Project Scorpio surrogate, we can see Microsoft's forthcoming system running games at 4K, though it's likely that all games won't run at 60FPS, or will have to make some graphical fidelity compromises.
By Mat Elfring on May 11, 2017 07:06 pm
The summer blockbuster season is here! That means the movies we've all been waiting for are finally hitting theaters. It's time for all those big-budget, popcorn-popping flicks, primarily featuring sequels and movies based on comic books. Here are some movies to be aware of that are coming out from June through August, coming to theaters and Netflix. If you're wondering where Alien: Covenant and the new Pirates movie are, they were including in our spring movie gallery, which you can check out here.
Wonder Woman
Kicking off June is DC Entertainment's newest film, Wonder Woman. Diana, princess of the Amazons, leaves her island to help an American pilot during World War I. Aside from the trench warfare against the Germans, there is something larger at play, which only she can stop. From the looks of the trailers, this may be the best DC superhero film to date. Wonder Woman opens on June 2.
The Mummy
The Mummy is the start of the Universal Cinematic Universe, mashing together the worlds of classic monsters from Hollywood's past. The film stars Tom Cruise and reboots the 1932 film of the same name, which originally starred Boris Karloff. Cruise plays Nick Morton, a man connected to a malevolent creature who wants to take over the world. While the original film was strictly horror, the trailer for the reboot has much more of a summer blockbuster feel. The Mummy opens on June 9.
It Comes At Night
The first horror movie to keep your eyes on this summer is It Comes At Night. In this claustrophobic film, a group of people are trapped in a cabin. During the day, they can come and go as they please, but at night, something is coming after them. That something may be a virus, which changes them into monsters. It's a bit ambiguous, but you can check you the trailer here and figure it out for yourself. It Comes At Night opens on June 9.
All Eyez On Me
Hollywood is exploring the world of rap and hip hop yet again with the Tupac biopic All Eyez On Me. The film follows the career of one of the biggest stars during the gangsta rap era and highlights moments in his life like his early friendship with Notorious B.I.G. to his signing with Death Row Records to his fight at a Las Vegas casino. The trailer covers all this and more, and it looks pretty fantastic. All Eyez On Me opens on June 16.
Cars 3
Lightning McQueen is back and facing a whole new generation of racers in Cars 3. He'll need the help of a young race technician in order to prove that although he's old, he's still a great racer. We learned a bit more about the film last month after we attended an event at Pixar Animation Studios. In addition, you can check out a new trailer here. Cars 3 opens on June 16.
Transformers: The Last Knight
The latest Transformers film poses the idea that the robot alien race has been on Earth--in secret--for centuries. The world needs to be saved, once again, and the secret lies in the past, where there is a hidden history of the Transformers living on Earth. You can see a recent trailer here. Transformers: The Last Knight opens on Wednesday, June 21.
The Bad Batch
If Transformers isn't your thing, there's a dystopian future film coming out a couple days later called The Bad Batch. It takes place in a Texas wasteland where there are cannibals everywhere. The trailer has a cool, '80s feel. It's stylized and has Keanu Reeves playing a character named The Dream. The Bad Batch opens on June 23.
Baby Driver
Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) is writing and directing this upcoming film about a young getaway driver obsessed with listening to music during his runs. He finds himself a part of a heist that was doomed from the start. Wright has a successful track record of mixing genres with comedy, and this is the first time he's doing so with a heist film with humor, unless you count his unused script for Marvel's Ant-Man. You can see the trailer here. Baby Driver opens on Wednesday, June 28.
Despicable Me 3
The Despicable Me franchise, which includes Minions, has been a ton of fun. While they are undoubtedly films for kids, there is a lot of adult humor weaved through the story. In the newest film, Gru discovers he has a twin brother, who is also a supervillain. It seems like Gru will be coming out of retirement for this latest chapter. Check out the comical trailer for yourself. Despicable Me 3 opens on June 30.
Man Underground
Man Underground is a successfully funded Kickstarter film getting a limited release during the first weekend of July. The movie follows a geologist who used to work for the government. He claims that he saw aliens during his time and decides to make a low-budget film documenting his encounters. Conceptually, it's an interesting idea, and the trailer makes the film seem it's about a man losing his mind. Man Underground opens on Wednesday, July 5.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
One of the best parts of 2016's Captain America: Civil War was seeing Tom Holland appear as Spider-Man. The web-swinger's first solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming soon and will have Peter Parker taking on the classic villain Vulture, played by Michael Keaton. Robert Downey Jr. will also appear as Tony Stark/Iron Man. You can watch the newest clip for the movie here. Spider-Man: Homecoming opens on July 7.
War For The Planet Of The Apes
The Planet of the Apes prequels have revitalized the franchise over the past six years. In the third installment of the series, Caesar and the apes suffer tremendous losses in a battle with a man named Colonel (Woody Harrelson). Caesar struggles with his instincts, which lead him down a dark path in order to avenge his brethren. The trailer makes it seem like this is going to be a brutal movie. War For The Planet Of The Apes opens on July 14.
Wish Upon
The summer is a bit weak for horror films, and Wish Upon looks a bit more silly and over-the-top than scary. In this upcoming, jump-scare-filled movie, a young woman finds a magical box that makes wishes come true. Of course, the wishes she makes are to hurt other people. The trailer makes this movie seem like a mixture of Final Destination and Wishmaster. Wish Upon won't be a game changer in the horror genre, but it looks like a lot of fun. Wish Upon opens on July 14.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Luc Besson, the director behind The Fifth Element and Leon: The Professional, is back with his newest film, Valerian, which is based on a graphic novel. In the film, a dark force threatens a metropolis, and it's up to two special operatives to save the world and possibly the universe. If you were a fan of The Fifth Element, this will be right up your alley. You can see the trailer here. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets opens on July 21.
Atomic Blonde
Stunt coordinator David Leitch directs this Cold War era story based on The Coldest City graphic novel. Charlize Theron stars as an MI6 agent who heads to Berlin to investigate a murder of another agent. The trailer shows off a lot of cool action sequences that makes the film look like a ton of fun. Atomic Blonde opens on July 28.
The Dark Tower
The wait is finally over for fans of The Dark Tower series. The Gunslinger (Idris Elba) searches for the fabled Dark Tower, hoping to save his dying world. The Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey) wants to destroy the tower, which means both the Gunslinger and our world will be destroyed. The trailer jumps between the real world and the supposed fictional world of the Gunslinger. The Dark Tower opens on August 4.
Annabelle: Creation
The newest film in the Conjuring cinematic universe comes out in August. Annabelle: Creation tells the origin story of the demonic doll. After a dollmarker's daughter dies tragically, he and his wife open their doors to several children from an orphanage. One of the orphan girls discovers she has become the target of the doll Annabelle, as you can see in the trailer. Annabelle: Creation opens August 11.
The Hitman's Bodyguard
Honestly, what attracted us to this movie was the poster. Ryan Reynolds plays a bodyguard for a successful hitman (Samuel Jackson) in this action comedy. Yes, this movie is as ridiculous as it seems. This looks to be the most promising comedy of the summer. The Hitman's Bodyguard opens on August 18.
Logan Lucky
In Logan Lucky, two brothers attempt a heist during a NASCAR event in North Carolina. There is no trailer for the film yet and very little information about this movie. We do know it stars Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, and Daniel Craig. Why did it make the list? The movie is directed by Steven Soderbergh, who has been at the helm of some amazing work in the past: the Ocean's Eleven series, The Limey, and most recently, the Cinemax series The Knick. Logan Lucky opens on August 18.
Death Note
Finally, coming to Netflix at the end of August is the film adaptation of the manga series Death Note. Nat Wolff stars as Light, a student who finds the Death Note book, which has the power to kill any person whose name is written in it. Light goes on to kill criminals in order to clean up the world. You can watch the trailer for the movie here, and if you have Netflix, you can watch the whole anime series on there right now. Death Note hits Netflix on August 25.
By Matt Espineli on May 11, 2017 04:43 am
Heroes And Villains
There are a ton of DC heroes and villains appearing in the upcoming fighting game Injustice 2. That's why we've compiled all the characters that have been confirmed so far for your reference. While we're aware that there are some characters that don't appear here that have been confirmed to be in the game, we'll only be updating the gallery once official gameplay of each has been shown. Click ahead to see all the Injustice 2 playable characters confirmed so far. Note that the character descriptions contained in each slide are from the official Injustice 2 website. Be sure to check back often as we update this feature with more characters. Injustice 2 launches for PS4 and Xbox One on May 16. Its first DLC character pack was recently revealed, which includes: Starfire, Redhood, and Sub-Zero. In other news, a mobile version of the game has been announced, while a new trailer for the console version shows Superman and Batman duking it out. Additionally, NetherRealm recently discussed the game's gear system--read GameSpot's interview feature to learn more.
Aquaman
Official Character Description: "The Atlantean ruler has isolated his kingdom from the surface world's affairs after a punishing defeat during the fall of Superman's Regime. However his determination to keep Atlantis' independence may cost him, as new threats rise can Aquaman swallow his pride to protect his people?"
Atrocitus
Official Character Description: "Red Lantern Atrocitus seeks revenge against all members of the Sinestro Corps for their murderous oppression of his homeworld. His hate blazes a path across the galaxy leading him to Earth. Sensing an opportunity on the post Regime planet, Atrocitus focuses on bolstering the Red Lanterns ranks by stoking the flames of rage."
Bane
Official Character Description: "After Superman's defeat, Bane was betrayed by the Regime and relentlessly pursued by Batman. Having already spent most of his life in prison, he is determined to take revenge against his former Regime masters and turn Gotham into a city where his rule is law."
Batman
Official Character Description: "Even after he's been exposed to the world as Batman, Bruce Wayne keeps his vow to avenge his parents' death by fighting for justice. He refuses to execute his enemies, believing that once he crosses that line, he's no better than the cowards he battles."
Black Adam
Official Character Description: "After the fall of the Regime, Black Adam returned to his home defeated and humiliated. Staying hidden from Batman's watchful eye, Kahndaq has become a safe haven for the Regime's remnants. There they await the day that together they can restore the Regime's rule upon the world."
Black Canary
Official Character Description: "Dinah Lance nearly sacrificed everything in her fight against the Regime but was forced to flee, before the fight was done. Now, with Batman restoring order, Black Canary has returned home to set things right, vowing to never again silence her canary's cry."
Blue Beetle
Official Character Description: "Jaime Reyes sought Batman's help in learning to use the Scarab, an alien weapon of mass destruction bonded to his spine. Although the Scarab could pose a deadly threat to the entire planet, kindhearted Jaime is determined to protect people, wary of the corruptive influence of great power he witnessed under the Regime."
Brainiac
Official Character Description: "Brainiac is a megalomaniacal genius who roams the universe, collecting knowledge to increase his intellectual and scientific prowess. Obsessed with establishing his superiority, Brainiac captured Krypton's greatest cities, then eradicated what remained…or so he thought. Tales of the "Last Son of Krypton" have reached far into the stars. Now, the Collector of Worlds comes to Earth to finish his accumulation of Krypton -- and discovers a new world worthy of his collection."
Captain Cold
Official Character Description: "Sworn to ending all crime, the Regime hunted down and brutally executed every member of the Rogues, including Captain Cold's sister. Using his skills as a thief and his iconic Cold Gun, Cold now seeks his vengeance. He'll gladly use the Society to achieve it."
Catwoman
Official Character Description: "Consistently walking the line between hero and villain, Selina Kyle's pilfering past as Catwoman prevents Batman from ever placing his full trust in her. As the ashes of the Regime give rise to the sinister Society, the Caped Crusader must once again speculate where this thieving feline's loyalties lie."
Cheetah
Official Character Description: "When archaeologist Barbara Ann Minerva betrayed Wonder Woman to claim the powers of a god, she was unaware that she would be cursed to live a life transformed as the Cheetah. She now uses her primal powers to take revenge against Wonder Woman, drawing her out of hiding in hopes of bringing about her doom."
Cyborg
Official Character Description: "Victor Stone lost more than his friends at the tragedy of Metropolis, he lost his hope. His anger tempered his loyalty for Superman and he has remained eager to serve the Regime. With the world left unprepared for the looming threat, Cyborg may be the only one who can combat the technological might of Brainiac."
Darkseid
Official Character Description: "A being of pure hate incarnate, the lord of Apokolips Darkseid demands the total subjugation of all existence. His merciless obsession has left a wake of suffering and obliteration as he seeks the Anti-Life Equation. With his invincible body, limitless strength, army of Parademons, and the annihilating power of his Omega Beams make him not only a threat to this world, but to every world within reach."
Deadshot
Official Character Description: "Floyd Lawton is "the" human arsenal, his aim lethal from any range. Having escaped imprisonment during the Regime, he now enters the fray as an expert assassin for hire, forced to contend with the fact that Grodd has come into possession of the detonator to the Personal Explosive Device implanted in his head."
Dr. Fate
Official Character Description: "Powerful sorcerer Kent Nelson wears the Helm of Fate and sees the fate of all mankind, for better or worse. He knows the world will end -- either by Brainiac's hand, or in a war between Batman and Superman. Though the Helm compels Kent to preserve this grim fate for the sake of Order, Kent's humanity compels him to intervene on behalf of his heroic friends -- and risk the unforeseeable consequences."
Firestorm
Official Character Description: "Two minds sharing one super-powered body, Jason Rusch and Martin Stein are only beginning to master their abilities as Firestorm. However reconciling Jason's brash personality with Martin's more empirical approach is no small task. While these two don't agree on much, one thing they never argue about is helping Batman rebuild a safer world."
Flash
Official Character Description: "Once known as the fastest man alive, Barry Allen has hung up his boots in public shame after defecting from the Regime. However as a new enemy threatens the innocent, the Flash returns to action, determined to redeem himself."
Gorilla Grodd
Official Character Description: "Telepathic brute, Gorilla Grodd, has long sought to prove his peerless genius by subjugating mankind. He's gone so far as to form an anti-Justice League, the Society, to once and for all smash their opposition. Using his intellect and telepathy Grodd enlists others in his mission to conquer the planet and fill void of power left by Superman's Regime."
Green Lantern
Official Character Description: "Rehabilitated by the Guardians of Oa, Hal Jordan overcame his worst fears from his time as a member of the Sinestro's Corps. Now a Green Lantern once more, Hal returns to Sector 2814 on a mission to stop Brainiac's invasion and prove to himself that he deserves a second chance at a brighter day."
Green Arrow
Official Character Description: "It's been a hard traveled road of the emerald archer, as this Earth's Oliver Queen gave his life in the fight against the Regime. Now as an alternative Earth's Ollie steps in to honor that sacrifice, he will join his wife Black Canary in Batman's crusade to set things right."
Harley Quinn
Official Character Description: "Since the fall of the Regime, Harley Quinn has found little solace in the incarceration of Superman. Still feeling a tremendous void left by Joker's death, Harley remains an unstable and uneasy ally. Resolute in her conviction, she refuses to let fugitives, assassins, or even criminals she once called friends stand in the way of her exacting revenge upon the man who silenced the Joker's laugh."
The Joker
Official Character Description: "Though killed by Superman, the Joker continues to haunt the lives of all those touched by his madness. By destroying Metropolis, he set the events in motion which made enemies of Superman and Batman. If he were alive to see the chaos he'd created, he would surely be smiling."
Poison Ivy
Official Character Description: "Dr. Pamela Isley was once an innovative, radical botanical biochemist with a singular goal: make the world safe for plant life to flourish. She joins the Society to further their common interest in bringing mankind to its knees, but at heart, Ivy's desire is to ensure that in any new world order, flora dominates fauna."
Red Hood
Official Character Description: "Jason Todd once served as Batman's second protégé "Robin" before being brutally murdered by The Joker. Years later, the powerful healing waters of the Lazarus Pit brought Jason Todd back to life. However the power of the pit comes at a cost, and a change takes hold in Jason. He now uses mantle of the Red Hood to wage a lethal war on crime."
Robin
Official Character Description: "Raised from birth by the League of Assassins, Damian Wayne has always struggled with Batman's non-lethal code of honor. Now in direct opposition with his father, Damian seeks a new mentor in Superman -- whom he considers to be more of a father than Batman ever was."
Scarecrow
Official Character Description:"Scarecrow plays on the fears of the unknown to inflict terror on his victims. An anarchist obsessed with using chemistry and psychology to spread and study fear. He joins the Society in order to sow panic on a global scale."
Starfire
Official Character Description: "As the next Queen of Tamaran, Princess Koriand'r found herself the victim of her fratricidal sister's vengeful plot that resulted in their planet being conquered. Now a royal exile on Earth, Koriand'r uses her ability to absorb and convert ultraviolet energy as Starfire."
Sub-Zero
Official Character Description: "To honor his murdered brother, Kuai Liang entered the second Mortal Kombat tournament to exact revenge against Scorpion. With his retribution complete, he returned home to assume leadership of the Lin Kuei clan, as its Grandmaster, the second Sub-Zero turned the organization into one of Earthrealm's most dependable allies."
Supergirl
Official Character Description: "As a child Kara Zor-El witnessed the devastation of Krypton before she was sent to Earth on a mission to protect her infant cousin, Kal-El. Arriving on Earth decades too late, she discovered that grown-up Kal has been imprisoned. Still determined to protect her family, and its legacy, Kara will fight her cousin's enemies as Supergirl."
Superman
Official Character Description: "After the fall of the Regime, Superman now remains a permanent resident of a prison built to contain and suppress the man of steel. Still grieving the loss of Lois and their unborn son, Superman maintains that peace can only be achieved through subjugation -- But as a new threat looms, can old enemies forge new alliances?"
Swamp Thing
Official Character Description: "The living elemental, Swamp Thing is the protector of all plant life, what he refers to as "the Green." As the violent affairs of humanity threaten to impact flora worldwide, Swamp Thing prepares his return to the fray to defend "the Green" from destruction."
Wonder Woman
Official Character Description: "An exiled sister of Themyscira, Wonder Woman remains in hiding after the fall of the Regime. Still an ardent believer of Superman and his rule, Wonder Woman awaits her opportunity to strike back against Batman and free Superman from his imprisonment."
By Array on May 11, 2017 03:26 am
Extraterrestrial tips and tricks
Arkane Studios' immersive first-person sim, Prey, is out, and it has a lot of secrets you might not know about. Like Dishonored and Deus Ex, there are multiple ways to complete your objectives and interact with the environment. Some are obvious while others require a bit more digging. Here are nine things we wish we knew before starting Prey.
You are being watched
As unassuming as objects like mugs or chairs may look, they can easily kill you. One of the primary enemies you will confront are Mimics. These inky, slimy, face-hugging little bastards can disguise themselves as everyday objects and jump out at you when you're least expecting it. Sure, you can bash every single object in a room to check to see if a mimic is hiding--what we call the scientific wrench-to-matter test. But there are more efficient ways to see if one of these little monsters is hiding in plain sight. A better approach is to use your ears and listen for wet-sounding clicking noises. Once you've pinpointed the imposter, take out that wrench, charge up a swing, and send that little guy to the moon.
GLOO rounds are your friends
The wrench can feel a bit imprecise and unwieldy, so you might want to prioritize any firearms you pick up. The GLOO gun, for example, can freeze enemies in place. When they're frozen, you can switch to your wrench and get in a few swings or fire a few well-placed rounds into it. Whatever you do, act fast, because enemies will break free eventually. Freezing enemies isn't the only thing the GLOO gun is good for. Aim it at surfaces and you can create steps and platforms to help you reach new areas. Large rooms often have balconies and mezzanines, many of which are best accessible with a couple GLOO rounds. The GLOO gun can also be used to stop electric junctions and gas leaks.
Every weapon has its uses
Apart from the GLOO gun, you will find standard guns like a shotgun and silenced pistol. And don't underestimate the usefulness of the toy dart gun. You can use the toy gun to activate computer monitors and switches from a distance if you lack the means to get close to those terminals yourself. You can also use the gun to distract enemies, but be ready to equip a damage-dealing weapon if these foes get close.
Look beyond the glass
While you're exploring the station, you will come across looking-glass videos. Looking glass allows you to inspect a video or recording from different angles. In most cases, we've found secrets within these videos, so make sure to look at them from every angle and watch them to the very end so you don't miss a keycode or a secret compartment. When you're done, smash that sucker because there are frequently secret passages behind them for some reason.
Know your item management options
It doesn't take long to fill up your inventory after Prey's first hour. You can expand your inventory within the engineer neuromod skill tree or you can just throw all your stuff on the ground and pick it up later when you have space, which we only recommend doing in Morgan's office. If you need some room on the fly and have a Recycle Charger, you can toss all your junk on the floor, drop the Charger next to it, and fire your dart gun at the Charger. All your junk will magically transform into its basic elements. You can then use these resources to create weapons, ammo, and other useful items at a fabricator.
Recycle and fabricate
The more practical method of recycling is to use the recycler, the first of which you find in Morgan's office. Take advantage of the Transfer Junk option to dump useless items en masse and save time. And while duplicate weapons aren't classified as junk, you should pick them up and bring them to the recycler, as they'll yield useful materials for the fabricator. More often than not, if you find a recycler, there's fabricator nearby. These are immensely useful for crafting items you might be short on, like medkits and pistol ammo, provided you first find the schematics to make them.
Loot the crew
You can use the Crew List at Security Stations to obtain a waypoint to any member of the crew, living or dead. You'll need to reach them for certain quests, but sometimes you can find useful items on them.
With great alien powers come greater threats
As you make your way through Talos 1, you will undoubtedly indulge in some of those sweet, sweet alien powers. After you get the Psychoscope in Psychotronics, you can invest in powers like Kinetic Blast, Mimic Matter, and Mind Jack. Be careful, though: if you invest heavily into these skills, the turrets will turn on you and a frightening beast called the Nightmare will aggressively stalk you. If the turrets haven't turned on you yet, you can pick them up and deploy them in different spots to help you out in a pinch.
Get creative with explosive canisters
Your default throwing strength isn't great, which is why we don't recommend throwing explosive canisters at enemies until you've upgraded the Leverage ability. These cylinders are still very useful, though. Aliens love hunting you down if you get their attention, which makes it easy to spring traps on them. Simply lay an explosive canister between you and an enemy, get the alien to notice you, and then hide while you wait for the Typhon to get close to the canister. With the right timing, a single pistol round fired at the cylinder can kill a Phantom instantly.
By Matt Espineli on May 11, 2017 12:44 am
Exclusives.exe
Thanks to all the independent developers set to launch their projects on Steam, the PC will get hundreds of platform exclusives this year. Rounding them up would prove unwieldy, so we've narrowed the field down to this list of some of the high-profiles games. Click ahead to check out a selection of some of the PC exclusives coming in 2017. Be sure to check back often as we update this gallery with more games and release dates as they're confirmed. And for more on PC, be sure to check out our Gametech coverage.
Conan Exiles
Conan Exiles is an open-world survival game set in the universe of Conan the Barbarian. Developer: Funcom | Release Date: January 31 (Early Access) | Watch the Trailer
Diluvion
Diluvion is a deep sea exploration game with tense tactical submarine combat. Developer: Arachnid Games | Release Date: February 2
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf (Early Access)
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf is a turn-based tactical card game that follows the exploits of the Space Wolf faction of the Space Marines. Developer: Herocraft | Release Date: February 16 (Early Access) | Watch the Trailer
Robo Recall
Robo Recall is a first-person VR shooter launching exclusively for Oculus Touch. It puts you in control an agent working for an organization tasked with eliminating rogue robots. Developer: Epic Games | Release Date: March 1 | Watch the Trailer
Expeditions: Viking
Expeditions: Viking is a party-based RPG where you play as a band of Vikings embarking on an adventure to an island to the West filled with treasure. Developer: Logic Artists | Release Date: April 27
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is the latest entry in the real-time strategy series based on the universe and characters of the popular tabletop game, Warhammer 40,000. Developer: Relic Entertainment | Release Date: April 27 | Watch the Trailer
Agony
Agony is a first-person horror game that forces you to survive the depths of Hell. Developer: Madmind Studio | Release Date: Q2 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Hello Neighbor
Hello Neighbor is a stealth horror game where you sneak into your neighbor's house and try to uncover the dark secrets inside. Developer: Dynamic Pixels | Release Date: Summer 2017 | Watch the Trailer
The Bard's Tale IV
The Bard's Tale IV is the latest entry in the iconic dungeon crawler series. You play as a Bard on a quest to save the land from dark forces. Developer: inXile Entertainment | Release Date: October 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Observer
Observer is a survival horror adventure where you play as a detective of a police unit tasked with hacking their clients' memories and fears.
Developer: Bloober Team | Release Date: Q2/Q3 2017
Dauntless
Dauntless is a third-person action game that puts you in the role of hunter tasked with taking down Behemoths. Developer: Phoenix Labs | Release Date: Q4 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Abandon Ship
Abandon Ship is a strategy game where you command a ship and its crew, exploring a procedurally generated world while engaging enemy fleets. Developer: Fireblade Software | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
A Hat in Time
A Hat in Time is a colorful 3D platformer inspired by classic games in the genre, such as Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64. Developer: Gears for Breakfast | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Aquanox: Deep Descent
Aquanox: Deep Descent is a first-person shooter where you control a submarine through undersea caverns in the dystopian world of Aqua. Developer: Digital Arrow | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Arktika.1
ARKTIKA.1 is a first-person VR shooter designed by 4A Games, the studio behind the well-received Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light. Developer: 4A Games | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
BattleTech
BattleTech is a turn-based strategy game based on the famous sci-fi book series of the same name. Developer: Harebrained Schemes | Release Date: TBA 2017
Chuchel
Chuchel is a puzzle game developed by Jaromir Plachy & Amanita Design, the creators of Botanicula, Machinarium, and Samorost. Developer: Amanita Design | Release Date: TBA 2017
Divinity: Original Sin II
Divinity: Original Sin II expands upon its critically acclaimed predecessor by introducing new elemental interactions, the ability to play with up to three other players, greater freedom to explore the world, and more. Developer: Larian Studios | Release Date: TBA 2017 (Early Access available now) | Watch the Trailer
Dusk
Dusk is a southern gothic horror first-person shooter that evokes the style and aesthetic of classic games in the genre, like Quake and Doom. Developer: Goldhawk Interactive | Release Date: TBA 2017
Escape from Tarkov
Escape from Tarkov is an MMO that combines first-person shooter action with RPG and survival elements. Developer: Battlestate Games | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Fortnite
Fortnite is a co-op sandbox survival game where you explore, scavenge items and weapons, build fortified structures, and fight waves of monsters. Developer: Epic Games | Release Date: TBA 2017
Frostpunk
Frostpunk is the latest project by 11bit Studios, the developer behind This War of Mine. Developer: 11bit Studios | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Frozen Synapse 2
Frozen Synapse 2 is a turn-based tactical game where you command squads through covert missions in an open, procedurally generated city. Developer: Mode 7 Limited | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Lawbreakers
LawBreakers is a multiplayer first-person shooter developed by ex-Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski and his team at Boss Key Productions. Developer: Boss Key Productions | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Overland
Overland is a squad-based survival strategy game with procedurally generated levels set in the dangerous frontier of post-apocalyptic North America. Developer: inXile Entertainment | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is a tactical multiplayer shooter that pits 64 players against one another across battlegrounds from the Vietnam War. Developer: Antimatter Games and Tripwire Interactive | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Routine
Routine is a first-person survival-horror game set on an abandoned space station that evokes the atmospheric qualities of late '70s sci-fi films. Developer: Lunar Software | Release Date: TBA 2017 | Watch the Trailer
Worlds Adrift
Worlds Adrift is a massively multiplayer sandbox adventure set in a vast Skies of Arcadia-inspired universe. It's developed by Bossa Studios, the developer behind I am Bread and Surgeon Simulator 2013. Developer: Bossa Studios | Release Date: TBA 2017
Xenonauts 2
Xenonauts 2 is a strategy game where you command a multinational organization defending Cold War-era Earth from an alien invasion. Developer: Goldhawk Interactive | Release Date: TBA 2017
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