Although most space games feature fast, agile combat between small spacecraft, players can now try out a game with a very different take on space combat. Dreadnought, which pits teams of massive, hulking frigates against each other, is now in open beta on PC.
In a press release, developer Yager Interactive announced that that beta is free to anyone who wants to try it out, although there are specialized "Hero Ships," cosmetics, and experience boosters that are available for purchase in-game.
In addition, Yager is adding a new map to the game. According to the studio, Ixion is Dreadnought's largest map yet. "Situated in space 60,000 kilometers above Saturn's largest moon, Titan, this new battleground forces players to maneuver around the colossal orbital ring that dominates its center," the press release states. "Narrow gaps within the superstructure allow ships to cross from one side to the other, but players must be wary of what dangers lurk on the other side."
You can hop into the beta, available on Windows, by going to the game's website here. The developer promises more content and balance updates throughout the beta.
The game promises massive battles between huge ships from five classes. It boasts 50 different ships to play as, with specializations as you might expect in a shooter: short-range, long-range, support, etc.
Dreadnought is already in closed beta on PS4, which you can sign up for here. Check out a round of team deathmatch on PS4 in the video above.
Most significant was the news concerning the current fiscal year, which runs through March 2018--in that period, Ubisoft confirmed it will release a new Assassin's Creed game, Far Cry 5, and The Crew 2, as well South Park: The Fractured But Whole. The following year, which runs April 2018-March 2019, will see the release of four AAA games. Three of these are existing franchises, while the fourth is a new IP.
As for the outcome of its financials, digital sales were on the rise for Ubisoft 2016-17 fiscal year, which ended on March 31, 2017. Its digital segment made up 50% of total sales during the year, and CEO Yves Guillemot boasted about both the success of Ubisoft's Tom Clancy games and its "Live" titles.
"With 44 million unique registered players, the size of the Tom Clancy community has increased by almost 150% in less than 18 months," Guillemot said. "This impressive performance for a brand created almost 20 years ago clearly illustrates the strong popularity of Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Rainbow Six Siege, and The Division. Our Live titles continue to beat records for player engagement and have seen a sharp rise in player recurring investment. Our results for 2016-17 demonstrate the success of our new model, with record high operating income and outperforming the target announced a year ago, and operating margin up for the third consecutive year."
Guillemot also made note of how its Live games--those like Siege, The Division, or The Crew that are regularly updated and maintained over a long period of time--help to make its business less reliant on new releases. Siege saw a record high for players during the January-March 2017 quarter. Ubisoft also suggested the new Assassin's Creed may have some kind of live component.
While was not mentioned in its earnings, Guillemot said during an earnings call that Steep had already proven to be profitable.
Regarding Nintendo Switch, Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez said the company believes it has the "potential to reach a wide audience." Ubisoft has been the top third-party publisher on Nintendo consoles over the last decade, and he said it intends to maintain its hold on that position. It indicated it has new games coming to the platform but didn't share any specifics. A Mario-Rabbids crossover game is rumored to be in development.
Ubisoft pointed out that it believes there is a "major possibility for the future" to increase recurring spending in its games, though Martinez said the company wants to be "fair" about how it pursues the opportunity.
Total annual sales were €1,459.9 million, an increase of 4.7% compared with the prior year; digital revenue accounted for €729.3 million of that.
Since the beginning of calendar 2017, Ubisoft says it's the number one publisher worldwide in terms of physical and digital game sales on console and PC. Additionally, it claims Ghost Recon: Wildlands is the year's top-seller so far, while For Honor is No. 2.
This story has been updated with details from the conference call.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, the upcoming installment in the long-running aerial combat series, has been pushed back to 2018, publisher Bandai Namco announced today.
Originally a PS4 exclusive, Bandai Namco announced back in January that it would also bring the title to Xbox One and PC; however, the game still retains some PS4-exclusive content in the form of VR missions that utilize PlayStation VR. While a release date was never pinned down, the game was slated to arrive by the end of the year, though it has now been pushed back into 2018 in order to "achieve the vision" the developers have set for the game.
In an open letter to series fans, Ace Combat 7 producer Kazutoki Kono elaborated on the decision to delay the title: "The combination of the Unreal 4 Engine and the power of current generation consoles and PC hardware have literally opened the 'skies of opportunity' to us to develop the best Ace Combat experience to-date."
Ace Combat 7 is being billed as a return to the series' roots, trading the real-world settings featured in the series' most recent installments for the "strangereal" universe of its earlier titles. We recently had a chance to chat with Kono about the Ace Combat 7, touching on the importance of recapturing the spirit of the series. Bandai Namco has also confirmed it will give fans their first look at the game's non-VR missions at this year's E3.
A new Battlestar Galactica strategy game will put you in control during the First Cylon War, giving you the mission of building the fleet and defending the Twelve Colonies from the cybernetic villains. "The Cylons have rebelled," announces a voice In the trailer above, which shows the fiery aftermath of a space battle. "There is no end to their war."
Publisher Slitherine says Battlestar Galactica Deadlock will feature "a strong narrative with an extensive cast of characters, both new and from the existing lore." As commander, you'll take charge of ships like the Jupiter Class Battlestar, Vipers, and Raptors. There are also new ships designed just for the game.
Deadlock will have "intense tactical space battles in full 3D," according to Slitherine. You can "give commands to your fleet of capital ships and watch the explosive results play out in pausable real-time across beautiful, 4k supported environments."
The developer, Black Lab Games, is promising fans of the iconic series the game experience they've always wanted.
"Our main goal is to give the vast community of fans and followers a game that is deeply rooted in the franchise's values," said Paul Turbett, Black Lab's managing director.
"We are creating a game that tells new stories but with familiar places, events and characters. And all of it will be captured in the depth that our strategy game will offer."
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock has no confirmed release date yet, but Slitherine says it will be out this summer on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. You can apply to be a part of its beta test on Slitherine's website.
After lots of rumors and a few leaks, Ubisoft has confirmed a new Assassin's Creed will be out during the current fiscal year, which runs through March 31, 2018.
The news was shared as part of Ubisoft's earnings report today. The company subsequently shared a GIF on Twitter with the game's logo and the words "a new era begins."
Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez strongly suggested during an earnings conference call that the new game will have some kind of live aspect to it, which has become a major component of other Ubisoft games like Rainbow Six Siege and The Division. CEO Yves Guillemot also said the new game will be revealed "soon" and declined to say if the franchise will return to an annual release slate.
On May 9, reports indicated that the follow-up to Assassin's Creed: Syndicate would be called Assassin's Creed: Origins. The title, it was suggested, reflected Ubisoft's intention to reboot the series, and the text in the image above further suggests that will be the case.
Ubisoft did not release a mainline entry in the Assassin's Creed series in 2016. This, it said, was so that it could leverage new technology and "give the brand a new dimension."
"Since the release of Assassin's Creed Unity, we've learned a lot based on your feedback," said the company's CEO, Yves Guillemot. "We've also updated our development processes and recommitted to making Assassin's Creed a premier open-world franchise.
"We're taking [2016] to evolve the game mechanics and to make sure we're delivering on the promise of Assassin's Creed offering unique and memorable gameplay experiences that make history everyone's playground."
Ubisoft has officially announced Far Cry 5, the newest entry in its open-world first-person shooter series. The game was revealed just before the company's earnings call, when it was also confirmed that it will be out during the current fiscal year, which end on March 31, 2018.
There are no further details, so as of yet the location of Far Cry 5 and the time period it is set in remain a mystery. During the call, Ubisoft said we'll learn more about the game "very soon," which may point to an E3 reveal. It declined to address a question about dubious rumors suggesting the game may be a western.
"We believe Alpha for these games needs to be one year before release," explained editorial VP Tommy Francois. "We're trying to achieve that. That's super f***ing blunt, I don't even know if I'm allowed to say this. This is the goal we're going for: Alpha one year before, more quality, more polish. So if this means biting the [bullet] and not having an Assassin's game or a Far Cry [in 2017], f*** it."
Ubisoft has announced The Crew 2, a sequel to the open-world racing game it released in 2014. The announcement was made during just prior to Ubisoft's latest earning's call. The game is expected for release during the current fiscal year, which runs until March 31, 2018.
As of yet, further details for the game have not been announced. However, the game's official forum features a logo along with the tag line "Beyond the road."
During Ubisoft's investor call it was revealed that The Crew "delivered the same level of profitability in its third year as it did in its second."
The Crew received a score of 5/10 in GameSpot's review. Critic Peter Brown said, "When The Crew puts you into races with good AI, and you get to race through interesting and varied environments, you get the feeling that you're playing a good game." However, he also noted issues with network connectivity.
The Predator is the upcoming reboot of the classic sci-fi action series, and it is currently shooting in Vancouver. A new behind-the-scenes image has been posted on Instagram by set photographer Jarrod Au, and it gives us a first look at the alien hunter itself. Check it out below:
The Predator is directed by Shane Black, who previously made Iron Man 3 and last year's comedy thriller The Nice Guys. It stars Boyd Holbrook (Narcos, Logan), Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu, Key & Peele), Sterling K. Brown (The People v. OJ Simpson), Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse), and Jacob Tremblay (Room). Black has released a couple of cast images over the past few months--check them out here and here.
"I think that they came to me knowing pretty much that... they said, basically, if I wanted to make Predator but treat it like it was Iron Man 3 instead of just another little movie. I said, 'Let's really do it right this time.'"
In addition to playing as Sonic, you'll be able to create and play as your own character in the upcoming Sonic Forces.
Sega announced the news today with a new trailer, which you can watch above. It highlights many of the customization options available to you, including tweaking your body, color, gloves, footwear, and headgear.
We also get a peek at a custom character in action, as well as some of the gadgets you'll be able to use in the game, including a flamethrower and a grappling hook of sorts. The video concludes with another quick look at Forces' modern-style, 3D Sonic action, and a 2D side-scrolling segment.
The two trailers, which were shared on the series' Japanese YouTube channel, showcase the first footage of the PS4/Xbox One versions, which were announced back in March. The first video, embedded below, highlights the more action-oriented portions of the gameplay, showing one of the game's two main protagonists, Jill Valentine, fending off the zombie-like Ooze monsters with both a gun and hand-to-hand combat.
The second trailer, meanwhile, focuses on the games' exploration elements. This particular video follows Jill and Chris Redfield as they navigate the game's maze-like environments and pick up important items. You can take a look at the trailer below.
Resident Evil: Revelations was originally released for 3DS back in 2012. The game takes place between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5 and is primarily set aboard a derelict cruise ship called the Queen Zenobia. The 3DS version received critical praise on release; we called it "a successful blend of old-school Resident Evil horror and new-school action" in our review and awarded it 8.5/10. An HD port was later released for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC in 2013. More recently, an episodic follow-up titled Resident Evil: Revelations 2 released for PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, Xbox 360, and PS Vita.
Resident Evil: Revelations is launching for PS4 and Xbox One this fall, though Capcom hasn't announced a specific release date. A new mainline installment in the series, Resident Evil 7, also released this past January for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Your next best chance to pick up a Nintendo Switch may be at Toys R Us later this week.
The retailer will have the system in stock throughout the United States on Friday, May 19, it tells GameSpot. As is always the case, it will be available in limited quantities, so you'll likely have to act fast if you're hoping to pick one up. Toys R Us suggests getting to your local store before it opens on Friday, though that's no guarantee that you'll get one.
Nintendo will again showcase the upcoming Switch game Arms during a Nintendo Direct presentation this week, the company has announced.
The stream will go live tomorrow, May 17, at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET / 11 PM BST. Nintendo says it will consist of "a deep dive into the upcoming Arms." At the end, we'll see a new trailer for another big upcoming first-party Switch game, Splatoon 2. You can watch the Nintendo Direct here.
Any other announcements Nintendo might have to share are likely being saved for E3. The company recently announced its plans for this year's event, with streams planned to begin on June 13.
The final trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes is here. The third movie in the rebooted sci-fi action series promises an epic showdown between apes and man, and this trailer certainly doesn't hold back on the spectacular action. Check it out below:
The film follows Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014). It's directed by Matt Reeves, whose previous credits include Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Cloverfield, and who will next helm the standalone Batman movie for DC.
A previous trailer was released in March--you can watch that here. The film stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, and Judy Greer.
In a recent interview with Slashfilm, Serkis spoke about the movie's "epic" scale. "It's an amazing arc that Matt and [co-writer] Mark Bomback have written," he said. "What they've managed to do each time, with Dawn and then with this one, is to amplify the stakes emotionally and scale-wise.
"It's very epic. It's on a massive scale not just because of its title… but because the stakes are just so much higher. And the global understanding... the apes find out there are other apes outside of the smaller group who are evolving and changing and discovering how much the virus is affecting humanity. It's a fantastic journey."
War for the Planet of the Apes hits theaters on July 14, 2017.
Announced today, Harvest Moon: Light of Hope marks the franchise's fist installment on PC and Nintendo Switch. The story begins with players traveling by boat and searching for a new home. Things don't go to plan, as their boat is sunk by a terrible monsoon.
"As they drift into a small harbor town, now in a shambles from the storm, it will be up to the player to help rebuild the town and save the lighthouse...but it won't be easy!" reads a line from Natsume's press release. "Nevertheless, with some hard work growing crops, tending livestock, and gathering materials for repairs, players will be able to make new friends, start a family, revive the lighthouse, and save the town."
Natsume president and CEO Hiro Maekawa said in a statement that Light of Hope will differentiate itself from past entries in the series with its "depth," "robust story," and "clear-cut goals."
"We set out to create a SNES-style nostalgic game with deep and meaningful characters and events," Maekawa added.
The next Pokemon Go in-game event has been announced. The Pokemon Go Adventure Week event begins May 18 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET and sees Rock-type Pokemon show up in the game world more often.
Some of the creatures you'll see more of include Omanyte, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Onix, and Sudowoodo, as well as their evolved forms. In addition to a greater number of Rock-types, the event adds more items to PokeStops, while Buddy Pokemon will receive Candy after walking just one quarter of the normal required distance. There is also a new customization option for your avatar in the form of an "Adventurer's Hat," which all players get for free.
The Adventure Week event ends May 25 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET.
In March it was announced that a follow-up to the crime thriller The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo had found a director and would arrive in theatres in 2018. It has now been reported that Claire Foy, the star of the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown, is in consideration to play the lead role of Lisbeth Salander.
According to The Wrap, Foy tops the shortlist of potential actresses to play the iconic hacker in The Girl in the Spider's Web. Foy won a Golden Globe earlier this year for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, and will return for the second season later this year.
The Girl in the Spider's Web will be adapted from David Lagercrantz's 2015 novel of the same name. It is a continuation of the trilogy created by the late Stieg Larsson. The 2011 adaptation of the first novel, The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, was directed by David Fincher and starred Rooney Mara as Salander. However, it was not a commercial success and plans to adapt the next two books went no further.
The Girl in the Spider's Web will be directed by Fede Alvarez, who scored a hit last year with the horror movie Don't Breathe. It is scheduled to hit theaters on October 5, 2018.
A wave of new For Honor content arrives today, some of which is immediately free to all players.
Season Two of For Honor, known as Shadow and Might, goes live at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET. As previously detailed, two new maps and various gameplay updates will be available then for all players. Season pass owners immediately get their hands on the two new characters, while all other players will have to wait for May 23, when they'll be made available for purchase using the Steel in-game currency.
In addition to the free maps, the gear system has been "overhauled," according to Ubisoft. This includes balance changes and tweaks to stats that have been deemed either useless or redundant, as well as a way to see percentage increases when comparing pieces of gear. Alongside this, a new Epic level of gear will be introduced that raises the gear score cap from 108 to 144.
New territories are also being added to the Faction War map, but maybe the main highlight of Season Two is the addition of two new characters. The Centurion is a close-quarters Knight hybrid, while the Shinobi is a Samurai assassin. You can see these in action in the gameplay clips above and below.
This release marks the biggest update since the game's launch back in February. For more, check out GameSpot's For Honor review.
One of the summer's biggest movie releases has been stolen and is being held for ransom. It has been reported that hackers have demanded a payout from Disney or else they will release Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales onto the internet.
According to Deadline, hackers have demanded "an enormous amount of money," to be paid in Bitcoin, or else they will release the movie in increments online. The site reports that the studio is refusing to pay and is currently working with the FBI.
While Disney has not officially commented on the story, chief executive Bob Iger did confirm to ABC employees on Monday that the incident had taken place. The identity of the stolen film was not revealed, but Deadline has since learned that it is the latest entry in the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean series. The movie is set to hit theaters on May 24.
Deadline spoke to online security expert Hector Monsegur, who explained that while big studios like Disney have tight security measures, there is no guarantee that the many third party companies involved with a movie's production would have the same level of online protection.
"You have all these vendors and small production companies which don't have great security," he said. "[They] probably don't have the budget to focus on their own security, so hackers get in pretty easily."
Netherrealm's Injustice 2 returns to a world in which Superman rules as dictator and Batman leads an insurgent rebellion against him. Except this time the two sides may need to unite against a common enemy that could destroy them all: Brainiac.
Injustice 2 builds upon the success of the first game with a new story mode, expanded multiplayer modes, and an expansive gear system. By gathering loot, players can create their own unique take on DC's most iconic superheroes, but is taking them into battle any fun? We've collected a few reviews for the game to answer that question.
In GameSpot's Injustice 2 review Peter Brown said the game "offers numerous ways of engaging with its characters and testing your abilities without feeling repetitive," and "this variety is further bolstered by gear." He awarded the game a 9/10; take a look below to see what everyone else thought about it.
For a selection of other critics' opinions, check out the roundup below--or for a wider view on critical opinion, you can take a look at GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Release: May 16 (May 17 in Australia and May 19 in Europe)
Price: US $60 / £50 / AU $100
GameSpot -- 9/10
"With AI battles, online and local versus matches, the diverse and ever-changing Multiverse, and an impressive story mode, Injustice 2 offers numerous ways of engaging with its characters and testing your abilities without feeling repetitive. This variety is further bolstered by gear. Despite the needlessly complex economy tied to item management, the value of customization and expression that comes with gear ultimately makes up for it. And with over 25 characters to explore, it's easy to look forward to watching your next character grow while your understanding of the game continues to expand. NetherRealm has delivered a fighting game that can be enjoyed by new players and pros alike in ways that go beyond pure competition. It's a bar that every fighting game should meet, but one that has up until now seemed out of reach." -- Peter Brown [Full review]
IGN -- In Progress
"Like its cast of heroes, Injustice 2 is exceptional. The fight mechanics have been guided in the right direction following 2013's Injustice: Gods Among Us. The hours of play potential in the new Multiverse mode alone is impressive. The heroes and villains of the DC Universe look better here than they have in any game before, even as they star in a grim and joyless "what-if" storyline. Just like its heroes, though, Injustice 2 overcomes that adversity and soars, with more single-player content than I've ever seen in a fighting game at launch and an unrivaled combo system that is a sheer joy once you master it." -- Darry Huskey [Full review]
Destructoid -- In Progress
"If you're wondering whether or not Injustice 2 is worth jumping into, as of right now, it is if you're interested in the slightest. It's the full DC Universe experience NetherRealm Studios had wanted to nail since Gods Among Us. The single-player experience has also been enhanced to the point where you won't even have to go online for a while if the Gear System speaks to you." -- Nick Valdez [Full review]
Eurogamer -- Recommended
"Despite annoyances with the gear system and the loot boxes, Injustice 2 is a huge amount of fun. There's tonnes of stuff to do, it looks the part and the new fighting mechanics serve a purpose while deftly avoiding adding complexity. Injustice 2 is also a game I thoroughly appreciate for the lovely little touches. I appreciate that NetherRealm has put frame data into the move list. I appreciate there are character-specific tutorials. I appreciate there's a tournament mode that lets you battle offline with no progression or rewards. I appreciate how over the top the supers and stage transitions are. And I appreciate the character's eyes seem to look in the right direction. In short, Injustice 2 is the complete fighting game package, and it's one I hope other developers in the genre take notice of." -- Wesley Yin-Poole [Full review]
GameInformer -- 9/10
"Injustice 2 is a huge game, offering a lengthy story-based campaign, a great fighting experience, and a nearly endless supply of notable loot. The small tweaks to combat go a long way in creating a more dynamic flow, which resonates well in multiplayer matches. I ran into a little lag in a few online bouts, but the game ran smoothly most of the time. Even if you don't enjoy the competitive aspects of the fighting genre, this is a game you can dive into for an enjoyable superhero story. Brainiac is a tough fight, but anyone should be able to march to him and take him down on the easiest difficulty." -- Andrew Reiner [Full review]
Nintendo of Australia today announced the release dates for the Nintendo Switch Dock Set and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Amiibo figure.
The Dock Set, which comes with a dock, HDMI cable, and AC adaptor, will arrive on May 26, priced at AU$129.95. The dock and the associated components are exactly the same as the ones that come with the console. Nintendo says the extra docks are useful for people who have multiple TVs.
As for the new Smash Bros. Amiibo figures, including two versions of Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta, these arrive on July 21 (one day earlier than previously announced). Also coming that day are three more Splatoon Amiibo figures: Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, and Inkling Squid. They cost AU$17.95 each.
Finally, Nintendo of Australia confirmed that the 3DS game Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can You Stay Focused? will come out on July 29, priced at AU$49.95.
Video of 11-year-old actress Dafne Keen's screen test with Hugh Jackman for her role in Logan has emerged, showing the young actress fearlessly and emphatically nailing her try-out for Laura.
In the screentest, she sits alongside Jackman who swears at her again and again. Keen delivers her lines in both Spanish and English and it's not hard to see why she got the part. You can watch the NSFW clip here at Entertainment Weekly.
"There are qualities you can't ask of somebody to deliver," producer Mitch Parker says. "A level of strength, a stage presence, and a maturity that still doesn't really make sense to me that felt like she do this most difficult thing."
Jackman, who praised Keen's performance, also talks about how he came home with bruises from Keen after a day of shooting a scene that involved the child actor punching him in the arm multiple times. The movie's other star, Patrick Stewart, also appears in the video to talk about how great Keen was.
Details have surfaced of an additional line of Ryzen CPUs from AMD for the high-end desktop (HEDT) market by the name of Ryzen 9. Previously under the codename "Threadripper," the Ryzen 9 line reportedly contains nine different models that will span four different core/thread configurations.
Keep in mind that the rumors may not be 100 percent accurate, but according to Guru3D via WikiChip, the following will make the lineup of AMD Ryzen 9 processors:
Ryzen 9 CPU
Cores/Threads
Core Clock
Boost Clock
TDP
1998X
16 / 32
3.5GHz
3.9GHz
155W
1998
16 / 32
3.2GHz
3.6GHz
155W
1977X
14 / 28
3.5GHz
4.0GHz
155W
1977
14 / 28
3.2GHz
3.7GHz
140W
1976X
14 / 28
3.6GHz
4.1GHz
140W
1956X
12 / 24
3.2GHz
3.8GHz
125W
1956
12 / 24
3.0GHz
3.7GHz
125W
1955X
10 / 20
3.6GHz
4.0GHz
125W
1955
10 / 20
3.1GHz
3.7GHz
125W
Currently, the Ryzen 7 1800X is AMD's top-of-the-line CPU and sports eight cores and 16 threads. It excels in video production and image rendering tasks, especially considering its relatively modest price tag. Ryzen 9 CPUs would not be intended for gaming applications alone; HEDT processors cater to users that multitask with several CPU intensive programs.
Similarly, details on Intel's upcoming high-end processors, the Core i9 line, have surfaced. The most robust model seen from the Intel rumors, the Core i9-7920X, is said to feature 12 cores and 24 threads, a successor to the i7-6950X. Additional SKUs with six, eight, and ten-core configurations would compete with AMD's multi-core offerings.
It seems that information is leaking as we approach Computex, which will take place from May 30 to June 1 this year. It's the largest PC hardware convention, and AMD will be holding a press conference on May 31 to likely reveal Vega GPUs and additional Ryzen CPUs.
As a fighting game, Injustice 2 employs its own unique terminology to describe the myriad mechanics and situations you'll run into during a match. It also makes use of concepts that hardcore fighting game fans are likely to be familiar with. But for beginners to Injustice 2 and fighting games in general, a lot of this is bound to fly over your head. That's why we've compiled a list of all the game's terminology with accompanying definitions.
General Terms:
Below you can find definitions detailing the game's basic mechanics and concepts.
Special Move: An attack move executed by performing a specific combination of directional inputs and button presses.
Move Type: Signifies the area an attack lands on an opponent. There are three Move Types: High, Mid, and Low.
Block Damage: The amount of damage an attack does to a guarding opponent.
Overhead: An attack that must be blocked while standing.
Juggle: Hitting a fighter who has been knocked into the air, allowing you to continue delivering attacks that are counted towards your combo counter.
Cross Up: A jumping attack that hits behind the opponent. A successful Cross Up demands the other fighter block in the reverse direction to defend.
Wakeup Attack: A Special Move performed immediately after being knocked down.
Reversal Attack: A Special Move performed immediately after blocking.
Block Escape: A maneuver that allows you interrupt an opponent's combo at the cost of one bar from your Super Meter.
Air Escape: A maneuver that allows you recover mid-air from Juggle Combos at the cost of two bars from your Super Meter.
Roll Escape: A special maneuver that gets you out of dangerous situations at the cost of one bar from your Super Meter.
Delayed Getup: A maneuver that allows you stay on the ground longer to throw off your opponent's timing.
Clash: A maneuver that allows you escape an attack or combo by drawing power from your Super Meter. It can only be used once per match, per character, after the second health bar is revealed.
Meter Burn: This means the attack consumes a portion of your Super Meter for additional damage, properties, etc.
Delay: This refers to an additional input that intentionally prolongs an attack from being thrown.
Cancel (Move List Input): This refers to inputs that can stop an attack mid-animation.
Advanced Terms: Frame Data
A character's Frame Data can be found in their Move List.
Frame Data is a useful reference that allows you to better understand how to play Injustice 2. Each attack takes up a certain number of frames and has a beginning, middle, and end (i.e. a Start-Up, Active, and Recover). Frame Data reflects how many frames each segment of an attack takes.
Knowing the attack frames of your character's moves aids in your understanding of your own moves' limitations/advantages and how to counter an opponent's attacks. By looking at a move's Frame Data, you can calculate how an opponent's moves compare with yours to gain an advantage! For a quick rundown of the general terminology concerning Frame Data, refer to the definitions below.
Start-Up: This represents how long the first active frame from an executed move takes to initiate.
Active: This refers to the time that a move remains active until it fades or hits an opponent. In other words, it's the duration of time an attack registers as a hit.
Recover: It's the amount of time it takes for an attack to return you to your neutral standing state. While an attack is recovering from use, you cannot block or cancel it.
Block Advantage: This refers to whether or not you can move before an opponent after they block your attack. You can either be in positive advantage or negative advantage depending on the situation your attack was blocked.
Hit Advantage: How much advantage you have to execute another move after hitting an opponent.
Cancel (Frame Data): It's the advantage given to the attacker when they cancel their move with another move.
For more on Injustice 2, make sure to read our in-depth review. Otherwise, check out the news and features below.
A big Destiny 2 reveal is coming this week when Bungie shows off the first gameplay during a livestream on May 18. While you wait for that, Bungie today published the first Bungie Podcast since 2014. It's a wonderful, hour-long discussion with Destiny 2 game director Luke Smith and project lead Mark Noseworthy, alongside community manager Eric Osborne.
The full podcast is well worth a listen for fans of the series. One of the interesting bits is that Destiny 2's developers are playing the game in its entirety at home on a public test realm. Smith said it has been "pretty motivating" to play the game at home, as it inspires and energizes the team to come back to work with ideas for how to further improve the game.
"We have the game at home, which is awesome," Smith said. "We have the whole game at home. On a private test realm. And we're playing the sh** out of the game. That actually becomes pretty motivating to get back to work, because you can see, so clearly, inspiration n things that are going amazingly. And you can also see so many opportunities. We're not done. We've got plenty of work in front of us. But having a version of the game where you can sit on your couch in front of your TV, it feels totally different than playing at your desk."
Also during the podcast, Smith talked about how launching Destiny 2 is like the birthing process...in a way. "I think it's a birth; basically, like, Destiny 2 the baby is going to be born either way," he said. "It's coming. And so, we're just going to get to a place where we have to push. I have no kids. It's going to happen no matter what."
Destiny 2 launches on September 8 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as PC. The Destiny 2 gameplay reveal event is taking place on May 18, and you can expect GameSpot to bring you all the news and coverage at that time.
The studio head at Thief reboot developer Eidos Montreal has responded to the rumors that the team is working on a new Thief game. David Anfossi shared a humorous picture today of a fake Thief 5 screen to shut down the speculation--it's not happening, apparently.
He joked, "Apparently we're developing Thief 5 game! So now we have a title... We just have to build a team, a budget... Forget it!"
Apparently we’re developing Thief 5 game! So now we have a title... We just have to build a team,a budget... Forget it! @EidosMontrealpic.twitter.com/suiAgcK7sU
ZeniMax, the parent company of Fallout and Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda, has launched another lawsuit related to virtual reality. Having already successfully sued Facebook over Oculus Rift (and winning a $500 million judgement in the process), ZeniMax has now filed a lawsuit against Samsung over its Gear VR headset. Samsung worked with Oculus on Gear VR, and the suit claims that Samsung profited from Oculus technology, which it claims should be sourced to ZeniMax.
According to The Verge, ZeniMax's lawsuit claims that John Carmack, a former ZeniMax employee when he worked at id Software, "secretly brought Oculus (and former ZeniMax) employee Matt Hooper into id Software's offices to develop an 'attack plan' for mobile VR, which Oculus would later take to Samsung."
ZeniMax is arguing that Samsung should have been aware of the company's lawsuit against Oculus, but the suit states that Samsung "continued to develop the Gear VR with full knowledge of ZeniMax's allegations and without obtaining any right or permission from ZeniMax to use any of its copyrights or other confidential information."
In terms of specifics, ZeniMax alleges copyright infringement for code used in Gear VR, along with "trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, and unjust enrichment."
What impact the ZeniMax case against Facebook has on the company's new battle with Samsung remains to be seen. We'll report back with more details on this case as they become available.
A new firmware update for the Nintendo Switch has arrived, but it's not exactly clear what it does.
As posted on Nintendo's website, update 2.3.0 includes "general system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience." If that sounds familiar, it's because it is the same exact language that Nintendo has used to describe the system's two most recent updates, 2.2.0 and 2.1.0.
GameSpot has installed the new update and we will report back with more details on what's new in the update as we find out. If you have the update and noticed any changes, let us know in the comments below!
Funko is expanding its lineup of Pop! keychains with new ones themed around the big-time gaming and entertainment franchises Overwatch and South Park.
The new Overwatch keychains are for Tracer and Reaper, while the South Park items are Zombie Kenny and Mysterion. All of the new collectibles will be available this summer (June for Overwatch and July for South Park). However, pricing was not mentioned for any of the keychains. You can see all the keychains closer up in the image gallery below.
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