Spider-Man Homecoming hits theaters in early July, and to mark the upcoming release, Sony is launching a tie-in experience for virtual reality headsets. It's coming a week ahead of the film's release date, and it's free.
Sony announced the experience with a short trailer which shows a bit of what you can expect. It looks like a series of mini-games that'll have you shooting webs, eliminating enemies, and, most importantly, swinging through the city. You can check out the video above.
Spider-Man Homecoming VR arrives on June 30, a week before the film's July 7 release. Although the game was produced by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, it's not limited to PlayStation VR. It'll be available for all major VR systems, including the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. If you don't own a VR headset, you can still try it out at certain Cinemark theaters in the United States.
One of the big announcements from E3 2017 was that a new Wolfenstein game is in development. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is the follow-up to The New Order, and it takes main character BJ Blazkowicz to a Nazi-occupied United States. According to creative director Jens Matthies, this may not be the last game in the modern Wolfenstein series--and Mecha-Hitler may one day return to the games.
Appearing on Giant Bomb's E3 live show, Matthies fielded a question about Mecha-Hitler, the imposing, robotic Nazi leader from some of the original Wolfenstein games. To answer, he revealed that developer Machine Games has hoped that the new Wolfenstein series would be three parts--hinting at a possible reemergence of the antagonist later on.
"We always envisioned this as a trilogy," he said. "If we get to make the third one--once we introduce Mecha-Hitler, you can't go up from there."
Matthies' statement should be taken with a grain of salt, and he tempers expectations himself. There's no third game in development yet, and publisher Bethesda would have to greenlight it first, presumably based on how The New Colossus performs. But it's exciting nonetheless to envision a modern, high-fidelity Mecha-Hitler appearing in a later Wolfenstein game. Also worth noting is that Matthies and Machine Games are seemingly not counting The Old Blood, a standalone expansion to The New Order, as one of the entries in the trilogy.
The LeSportsac X Nintendo line encompasses tote bags, backpacks, pouches, and other accessories inspired by Nintendo's iconic mascot. The collection features "two unique designs" created specifically for this collaboration. The first, Power-Up Burst, is a collage of the classic power-ups and enemies Mario encounters on his adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom. The second print, Mario Travel, features Mario-themed postcards, luggage tags, and passport stamps on a red background. You can take a look at photos of the bags below.
Other items in the LeSportsac X Nintendo collection include a round Piranha Plant pouch, a pouch that resembles the original Game Boy, and a cosmetic bag adorned with Fire Flowers and Stars. Each item features a Mario coin as a zipper.
The LeSportsac X Nintendo collection launches in Japan on July 19 and in the US and other countries this fall. Prices for the bags and accessories have not been announced yet.
Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres in less than a month, and the latest trailer is here. It's aptly titled "Winter is Here", and begin with a variety of moody, snowbound shots, before showing most of the main cast and exploding into some epic-looking battle sequences. Check it out above.
Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres on Sunday, July 16. Although Season 8 will be the final one, there are already multiple scripts for prequels in the works. Last month, author George R.R. Martin revealed that there are five potential spinoffs being developed by HBO. However, HBO boss Casey Bloys subsequently clarified this statement, and explained that fans shouldn't expect several new shows.
"I want to put the prequels in context. I wanted to make sure fans know this is a really embryonic process," he told EW. "I haven't even seen outlines. In the press at large, everybody said, 'There are four spinoffs,' and they assume that means each one is happening and we're going to have a new Game Of Thrones show per quarter. That's not what's going on.
"The idea is not to do four shows. The bar set by [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] is so high that my hope is to get one show that lives up to it. Also, this is a long-term plan. Our No. 1 goal is the seventh season this summer and getting the eighth season written and aired."
The latest game in the Fire Pro Wrestling series, Fire Pro Wrestling World, is on its way to PC, and it launches in a matter of weeks. The Steam Early Access version of the game debuts on July 10, Spike Chunsoft announced on Twitter today.
That falls a bit outside of the Q2 window the developer had previously provided, but given the wait--the most recent game came to Xbox 360 in 2012--a couple of extra weeks seems insignificant. It will cost $20, which is a discount on the (still undecided) post-Early Access price.
This in-development version of World is "fully playable with online matchmaking and basic editing tools to create custom wrestlers/belts/referees/rings/logos." It does not yet have a full suite of modes and match options, and more editing tools will be added for the full release. Spike says the Early Access period is expected to last for a "few months, depending on the scope of feedback."
When it was first announced earlier this year, it was believed that Killer7 and No More Heroes designer Goichi "Suda51" Suda, who got his start working on the series, was involved. In fact, he is not working on the game and only participated in the announcement video.
A list of confirmed game modes can be seen in this post on Steam. So far, these include cage matches, Battle Royale, and Landmine Deathmatch (where landmines are littered around the ring), among others.
Sega is bringing a catalog of its classic games to mobile devices via a new service called Sega Forever. The service will encompass titles from every era of Sega consoles, including Master System, Genesis, Game Gear, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast.
Each game available through Sega Forever will be free to download and features in-game ads. Like the recent mobile release of Crazy Taxi, however, players have the option to remove the ads via a $2 in-app purchase per game. Every title will also support new features such as leaderboards, cloud saves, offline play, and controller support.
The first batch of Sega Forever titles goes live worldwide tomorrow, June 22, and consists of the following five Genesis classics:
The service will be updated with additional titles every two weeks, according to a press release. Each Sega Forever game will be available to download individually on Android and iOS devices from the Google Play and App stores.
Sega has released a new video for Total War: Warhammer 2, offering an in-depth look at the shimmering isle of Ulthuan and the Lustrian jungle, where players will battle as part of the campaign. The video provides a fly-over tour of different features of the map and an overview of the various gameplay opportunities available within it.
The major landmark in Ulthuan is the great vortex at its center, which was forged by the high elves of old to siphon the winds of magic. This vortex will no doubt become a focal point of battles, but players will first need to overcome the perilous seas and shores to reach it.
Of course, there's also plenty of opportunity to meddle in political affairs, strong arm other races, and generally manipulate the enemies to swing events in your own favour. Watch the video above to get a good look at the map.
Total War: Warhammer 2 introduces four new playable races: High Elves, Dark Elves, Lizardmen, and a fourth one still to be announced. It also takes players to "mystery-shrouded continents far to the west of The Old World," spanning Ulthuan, Naggaroth, The Southlands, and Lustria.
Publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly claim Total War: Warhammer 2 features a "new style of narrative campaign." Each of the four races is competing to either save or destroy the Great Vortex over Ulthuan, and you'll have to rush to do so before anyone else can. This "struggle culminat[es] in a cataclysmic endgame."
The new campaign is said to offer hundreds of hours of gameplay. Total War: Warhammer 2 launches on September 28. If you own both this game and its predecessor, a free update coming "shortly" after launch will merge Warhammer 2's map with the map from the first game to provide a combined campaign map that consists of the regions from both games. This will let you play through campaigns with any playable race you own.
Like Pillars of Eternity, Cities: Skylines has been "redesigned for console players with controller-friendly gameplay and UI." That was likely an easier task in this case, given it was released on Xbox One back in April. Cities: Skylines - PlayStation 4 Edition includes both the base game and the After Dark expansion, which adds new buildings and other elements themed around nighttime activities. That's the same content available in the Xbox One version.
Several other expansions have been released since After Dark, but there's no word on if those will be available for purchase on PS4. These include Snowfall, Mass Transit, and Natural Disasters, all of which focus on exactly what their titles suggest.
The Nintendo Switch eShop is now home to another new game. It's the first release of the week, with at least one more still to come to the platform.
Cave Story+ is now available for Switch. This is an enhanced edition of the acclaimed action-platformer originally released in 2004, which has gone on to be released for numerous systems. Cave Story+ launched for PC in 2011 and featured various improvements and additional modes added in previous releases. Publisher Nicalis says this Switch edition is the "definitive version with new challenges, gameplay options, and enhancements." It features "more levels and additional subtle graphic improvements, future free content updates, as well as a few bonuses that are yet to be revealed."
The game is out now for $30 on the eShop. It's also available physically, with that version--also priced at $30--coming packed with some extra goodies, including a soundtrack CD and keychain.
Tomorrow, June 22, brings another new Switch release in Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas. The Zelda-like game will be priced at $15. We'll report back tomorrow with word of any other new releases; the ACA Neo Geo games, in particular, like to show up on the eShop with little warning. Last week saw one of those (Sengoku) along with Azure Striker Gunvolt and a big release from Nintendo, Arms.
Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer segment is wacky and wonderful. The late night TV host and comedian's video game series has featured games like The Witcher 3, For Honor, and more recently, the virtual reality game Wilson's Heart. Now, for the first time, he's airing a Clueless Gamer segment for a Nintendo Switch game. An episode for the Nintendo Switch fighting game Arms is expected to air this week, premiering this Thursday, June 22.
At the end of the June 20 Conan taping, O'Brien asked the audience if they would stay in their seats to preview the Arms episode of Clueless Gamer. O'Brien and Will Arnett go head-to-head in the episode, with the understanding that the competitor who comes in second would have to record a video praising the other. Wins are counted, along with "sick burns"--and there are many of these. They were pretty tame as far as O'Brien and Arnett's jokes go, and the family friendly Nintendo might have had something to do with that.
O'Brien said he expects the episode to air on June 22, but this could change.
O'Brien himself doesn't know much about video games, and he often rips them apart in his videos--he called Final Fantasy XV an "epic waste of time." The Clueless Gamer series has been wildly popular, and O'Brien told the audience at the June 20 Conan taping he's been approached by numerous game companies asking if they can pay to have O'Brien play their games. O'Brien said he is always honest with them about his lack of experience and how he sometimes makes digs at games, but he says the companies don't care because it is understood that O'Brien has no credibility with gamers.
We'll report back with the Clueless Gamer episode for Arms later this week when it's released.
Arms launched on June 16 for Switch. GameSpot's review scored it a 7/10.
"Arms is a strong, substantial fighting game that takes a while to really hit its stride. Its barrier to entry is unlike anything else in the genre, but it's one worth tackling in order to get at the game's fascinating take on fighting," reviewer Kallie Plagge said. "It may not have the same skill requirement as other fighting games, but the flexibility and fast thinking it requires secures it as one that works on its own terms and opens the genre up to a wider audience."
Ridley Scott's sci-fi classic Blade Runner celebrates its 35th anniversary this weekend, and to celebrate, Entertainment Weekly have revealed a new promo for the upcoming sequel. Blade Runner 2049 arrives in October, and this video features footage not seen in the most recent trailer, plus interviews with stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, director Denis Villeneuve, and producer Scott. Click here to check it out.
Not much is known about Blade Runner 2049's storyline, but the official synopsis provides a few clues: "Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years."
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario) spoke about the challenges of making a sequel to such an iconic film. "Ryan and I made peace with the idea that the chances of success were very narrow," he said. "I came on board because the script was very strong. But no matter what you do, no matter how good what you're doing is, the film will always be compared to the first, which is a masterpiece. So I made peace with that. And when you make piece with that, you are free."
The director went on to explain that although Scott created the distinctive world of the original movie, he was very hands-off in his role as producer on the sequel. "He said, 'It's your movie. I'll be there if you need me, otherwise I'll be away,'" Villeneuve said. "And I must say he was not there physically, but I felt his presence all the time, because I was dealing with his universe all the time. So in a way he wasn't there, but he was there a lot at the same time."
Update: The free Friday the 13th: The Game update has been released on PS4 and PC, but Xbox One players will have to continue to wait. As explained in a post on the game's Facebook page, the patch did not pass Microsoft's certification process, meaning it will need to be amended and resubmitted. Studio head Wes Keltner explained, "This was due in part to some instability of the new content and the memory leak issue mentioned below."
He then goes on to describe the memory issue that's been plaguing the Xbox One version of the game and apologize for the situation. He also noted, "We're getting some outside help, from other colleagues in the industry that have had this identical problem. This in an effort to speed it up, or at least avoid some hurdles getting to the root of the problem."
Original Story: Friday the 13th: The Game encountered no shortage of server issues following its launch last month, the effects of which are still being felt to some extent. To make up for this, publisher Gun Media has announced it will make the game's first content update available for free.
As the trailer above notes, Gun wants to "make up for [the issues] and thank you for your patience" by giving away "cool free s***." The main component of this DLC is a retro version of Jason that comes with new chiptune music created by Mitch Murder. You can get a glimpse of him (and hear some of the music) toward the end of the video.
Also in the DLC is new clothing for every counselor, as well as 13,000 free customization points for all players. Everyone will also be able to partake in a double XP scheduled for this weekend, running from June 23-25. The DLC itself launches tomorrow, June 20.
"Overall, Gun Media is very thankful to our fans, supporters, and those interested in the game," it said in a press release. "We were completely overwhelmed by the amount of users that tried to play at launch, enough to break our servers and force us to upgrade. That process has evened out since then, however we are still working to smooth out the experience even more across all three platforms."
In our Friday the 13th review, Peter Brown wrote, "As of now, a week after launch, it's short on content and performs poorly all around, especially on consoles. The story goes that the developers weren't prepared for amount of people who wanted to jump on day one, but that does little to assuage players who were convinced that they were paying for a finished product. Despite showing potential that may one day be realized, Friday the 13th comes across as an unfinished game that shouldn't have been released in its current state."
It took many years for the classic DC graphic novel Watchmen to make it to the screen, with Zack Snyder's movie finally arriving in 2009. There may soon be another version on the way, this time made for TV and overseen by Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof.
As reported by Variety, Lindelof is in talks with HBO to develop a TV series based on Alan Moore's iconic story. This is the second time that the cable channel has tried to bring Watchmen to the screen, following an initial attempt in 2014. However, Variety notes that if it happens, Lindelof's version will start again from scratch.
Lindelof's acclaimed drama The Leftovers was also screened on HBO, and recently concluded its third and final season. His other writing credits include the movies Prometheus and Star Trek Into Darkness, and he was the co-creator and joint-showrunner of Lost.
Watchmen was first published by DC in 1986 as a 12-part limited series. It was written by Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons and is widely considered to be one of the greatest comic books ever released. It helped usher in a new, more mature approach to mainstream superhero comics, and in 2005, it was featured on Time's list of 100 greatest novels of the 20th century.
A film version was in the works for many years before Snyder's version hit screens, and 12 Monkeys director Terry Gilliam was attached at one stage. Snyder's movie was a modest success, making $185 million at the worldwide box office.
It's been an exciting year for Obsidian Entertainment. With Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire on the way, and new DLC for Tyranny coming later this year, the developers behind some rather dense isometric RPG games are cranking out some quality games that you can really sink your teeth into. But now, we can expect another title from Obsidian and Paradox Interactive ready for release this year. The publisher has just announced that the original Pillars of Eternity will be making its way to Xbox One and PS4 on August 29 with Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition.
In the Complete Edition, players who missed out on the original PC release will be able to experience the entirety of Pillars Of Eternity, including all expansions and updates--such as level cap increases, new difficulty modes, and balance tweaks. Ported over to consoles by Paradox Arctic, the developers and publisher worked closely with Obsidian to ensure that the move to consoles retained many of the core elements of the original game, which had to go through some changes to fit the new platforms.
Its publisher, Paradox Interactive, states that a lot of work went into the creation of this port, and that it was all designed to ensure for comfort and accessibility.
"Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition goes beyond just offering everything together. Paradox Arctic has thoroughly updated the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the award-winning RPG for play with a controller, and have entirely redesigned the UI for easy viewing on televisions. Players will be able to easily navigate the game's detailed character creation, real-time-with-pause combat, and party management from their couches thanks to new TV-friendly menus and controls."
Set for launch on August 29 for $50, Paradox and Obsidian are ready to keep the CRPG titles coming--and with a new audience for the game, there's definitely looking to be an influx of new players ready to explore the world of Eora very soon. For more info on Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition, check out my hands-on impressions from E3 2017, where I learned just what exactly they changed to make Pillars of Eternity work on consoles.
With the next title in the Pillars of Eternity series on the way in Deadfire, Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive are gearing up for the launch of original to bring in some new blood. In Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition, players on PS4 and Xbox One will be able to dive into a new version of the game--featuring all content from both expansions and game updates--which has been redesigned for playability on consoles. Ported over by Paradox Arctic, the Complete Edition will mark the first time the series has made its way onto non-PC platforms on August 29. During E3 2017 last week, we got a brief hands-on with it, and we saw just how much of an overhaul was needed to make this title work on consoles.
For the uninitiated, Pillars of Eternity takes place in the world of Eora, a land resembling the early-renaissance period, but populated with monsters and other magical beings. In a region of the world known as the Eastern Reach, the area is in constant political turmoil with several empires and organizations in conflict with each other. Playing as The Watcher, a nameless and unknown character with a past and future of your own making, they will soon find themselves right in the middle of the conflict between the nations and must decide the best way to navigate the Eastern Reach, all while banding together a party of unique characters who have their own views on how the world should be.
In development for a little over 10 months, Paradox Arctic certainly had its work cut out for them. As a computer role-playing game, Pillars of Eternity wears its keyboard and mouse setup--and its overall 'PC-ness'--on its sleeve, and the developers working on the port had to redesign much of the game to accommodate the more limited play-style with controller pads. On consoles, all movement is controlled by the left stick, while actions and other context sensitive options are on the shoulder and face buttons. A new radial menu is also available for players, which covers much of your needs while on your adventure. Despite these changes to the UI and control scheme, many of the more obscure PC features still remain. For instance, disabling companion AI is still available, giving players complete control over all party members' moves. Moreover, cursor control is still possible, and with a quick button press, players can still use the CRPG staple to engage objects and examine the environment.
The control setup is largely similar to how Torment: Tides Of Numenera's console port turned out, which is very much a good thing. Playability is important in CRPG titles such as this, which is very much akin to bundling up with a good book when you get into it, so it's refreshing to see that the changes make for a pleasant experience on controllers. Despite the switch to a different platform, Pillars still retains its PC roots, which is very much what Pillars of Eternity was all about. Speaking with the folks from Paradox, they stated that many of these were a necessity, given the obvious change to platform. The primary goal they wanted to achieve was the ease of use and comfort. An Isometric CRPG title on consoles are few and far between, mostly on account of how niche the genre is, but also due to the fact that redesigning the game to work on controllers is something of a huge undertaking.
Fortunately, the small portion of Pillars I got to play on Xbox One was surprisingly smooth. The console port felt very much like its own thing that worked to coalesce many options and features that scattered throughout the keyboard like inventory and status management, along with skills and other traits. Though they use every button on the controller pad, it still felt more compact and easy to get into compared to the original PC version. Which will definitely be appreciated. With its release coming soon, August 29, it'll be available surprisingly soon, and I look forward to having more people experience one of Obsidian's best games in years.
For more info on Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition, be sure to watch this space. But if you're looking for more info on Pillars of Eternity II, then check out my impressions from E3 2017.
The update states North American servers are being attacked and that the technical team is having some trouble resolving the issues.
"We have confirmed that since June 16th, we have been experiencing DDoS attacks from an anonymous third-party targeting the Final Fantasy XIV game servers on the NA data center," reads the post.
"Our technical staff is taking every possible measure to address this issue but the attack is still continuing to take place by changing their methods at every moment. We will continue to monitor and work on recovery from every possible angle."
As noted in the post, DDoS attacks are designed to flood serves with information so that it struggles to handle the load, thus crippling performance. DDoS attacks are often concerted efforts involving numerous PCs all targeting the same servers.
"Due to this attack, our game servers, network equipment, and network connection are being hit with heavy load at an extensive level, which is causing a disconnection from the game and login difficulties," Square Enix added. "Our technical staff is continuing to work on countermeasures for this issue."
The company also assured players that, despite the attacks, the personal information connected to Final Fantasy XIV accounts is not in danger.
"With the attack we are currently experiencing, only a massive number of access attempts are being made, so character data and personal information registered to our customers' accounts are not in danger of being exposed."
An early-access period for Stormblood began on June 16 for anyone who pre-ordered the game, but all players were allowed onto game servers on June 20, with the official launch of the expansion. A big patch for the game was recently released and we got the chance to talk with the company about reinventing the MMO for beginners.
Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac creator Edmund McMillen has indicated his next game, The Legend of Bum-Bo, will be released for the Nintendo Switch. McMillen was fielding questions on Twitter and when asked by a follower whether the game would get a Switch release he said, "I think so yeah."
The Legend of Bum-Bo was announced in March 2016, but little has been seen of it since. McMillen is working on it alongside collaborators James Id and Ridiculon, and the game is described as a "turn-based puzzle RPG type thingy that's randomly generated."
The Legend of Bum-Bo's stylised logo hints at a connection to The Binding of Isaac and McMillen also teased the link when posting about it on the Isaac blog.
"But why is this on the Isaac blog?!," he asked. "What does this have to do with Isaac? When Isaac!? Isaac? Isaac! Why!? Well I'm sure those questions will be answered in the coming months once we tease a bit more."
The End Is Nigh, an adventure platformer from McMillen, is also set for release on the Nintendo Switch. Although the Steam version launches on on July 12, the Switch release is set for an as of yet undisclosed date in the future.
The End is Nigh is set after the "end of the world." Players control Ash, one of the few "things" to survive the apparent apocalypse. You must guide Ash through nightmarish levels filled with "decaying" mutant creatures, collecting video game cartridges and tumors along the way.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street), directors of the forthcoming untitled spinoff Han Solo film, are no longer working on the project. The pair announced that their leave is caused by a difference in visions.
"Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew, but it's become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we've decided to part ways," Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said. "A new director will be announced soon." At this time, the film is still scheduled to be released in May 2018.
During E3, however, I got a chance to sit down and play a few matches. I learned a lot more about Divisions and loadouts, but most notably, I got my hands on the brand-new, narrative-driven War mode. And while Team Deathmatch is still fast-paced and fun with WWII weapons, War stands out as the mode that will make me keep coming back to WWII's multiplayer.
War casts you as either the Axis or Allies in a scripted scenario. The mission I played had the Allies escorting a tank through an Axis-controlled area with the Axis team defending. The first step as the Allies was to take control of a building by capturing a point inside. Next, we had to rebuild a bridge while under Axis fire, which is done by approaching and holding a button, similar to performing repairs in CoD's past Zombies modes. Each objective is timed, and failure to complete a section within the set amount of time as the Allies meant an Axis victory (for this mission, at least).
The biggest difference compared to something like Team Deathmatch or Domination--which we also played in the same sitting--is that I was far more concerned with choosing the right loadout for my team rather than ensuring I had my preferred weapon. That's not new for team-based multiplayer but is incredibly refreshing for Call of Duty, and I relished the chance to try weapons I wouldn't have under typical circumstances. I never snipe in TDM, for example, but I got the chance to try it out in order to cover my teammates who were in the line of fire while rebuilding the all-important bridge. It's a great way to get used to the new Divisions system, too.
I was far more concerned with choosing the right loadout for my team rather than ensuring I had my preferred weapon.
Along those same lines, this structure also provides more room to take on different roles than in other CoD multiplayer modes. As a frequent TDM player, I'm very used to going for a high number of kills and a positive kill-death ratio, so providing smoke grenade support or planting explosives is a nice break from the tried-and-true modes we're all used to. The biggest obstacle is team communication, which wasn't possible in the E3 environment and would have improved our chances of victory quite a bit
Overall, Call of Duty: WWII's multiplayer isn't bogged down by a return to human--rather than superhuman--soldiers. The same classic modes are still fast and require a quick trigger finger, even with slower reload times and much shorter jumps. And some of the best sound design in the series means that gunfire and explosions feel closer and more exhilarating than before. But War is the mode that could reignite my desire to play a ton of CoD multiplayer, and I'm excited to try more during the beta in August.
Nintendo's new Switch console has been in short supply since it launched this past March, but US residents may have a chance to pick one up from a select GameStop store in the next week.
The video game retailer has announced it is receiving more Switch consoles "at select stores across the country." Unfortunately, there isn't a particular day prospective Switch owners can come in to pick up a console; according to a representative from the company, units "will arrive at different times throughout the week due to shipping" and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
The representative also confirmed that standalone Switch consoles will only be sold in-store. GameStop's website will offer the system exclusively in bundle form. One such bundle includes a copy of the recently released Arms along with a Joy-Con charging dock and other Switch accessories for $463.
Blizzard and Twitch have announced the details of a new streaming partnership for the developer's esports initiatives. But whether or not you care about esports, subscribers to Amazon/Twitch Prime get an immediate benefit.
Twitch Prime members--which you qualify as if you're an Amazon Prime subscriber--can grab a free Golden Loot Box in Overwatch right now. Unlike a standard Loot Box, this is guaranteed to have at least one Legendary item inside. You can claim your freebie by logging into Twitch, connecting to your Amazon Prime account if you haven't already done so, and going here. You'll then receive a code to redeem on Blizzard's website.
Although they're not available yet, you'll be able to get a total of 10 standard Loot Boxes later this year--five in August and five more in October. Additionally, free Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm loot is coming for Prime members; this will presumably come in the form of card packs and Loot Chests. HotS freebies will be available in August, followed by those for Hearthstone in September.
All of this comes as part of a new collaboration between Blizzard and Twitch, which will see Twitch serve as the exclusive third-party streaming service for "more than 20 Blizzard tournaments" over the next two years. These include Overwatch, HotS, Hearthstone, StarCraft II, and World of Warcraft esports events, including the following:
Heroes of the Storm Global Championship (HGC)
StarCraft II World Championship Series (WCS Circuit)
Of the number of reasons to feel optimistic about Days Gone, at the top of the list is its potential replay value. As The Last of Us and Telltale's The Walking Dead proved, there's replayability in story-driven zombie games, provided there's a compelling narrative and memorable characters. It's too early to say if Days Gone's story will be gripping or if protagonist Deacon St. John will be as captivating as Joel or Clementine. However its narrative may turn out, developer Bend Studio is banking that one reason players will return for multiple playthroughs isDays Gone's evolving surroundings, much of which is driven by changing weather. This adds a layer of depth that was lacking in the one-note debut trailer during last year's E3 press briefing.
To fully appreciate this latest reveal, one had to watch Deacon's latest mission twice, first under overcast skies, the next under snowier conditions (this latter playthrough was only shown in closed-door demos). This illustrated Deacon's ever-changing environmental circumstances. Snowfall can determine whether you'll have to deal with hostile wolves in one spot or a zombie swarm in another. Of course it would make sense to avoid zombie crowds by exploring when there's heavy snow. Yet, as the press briefing demo showed, there are ways to use an undead swarm to your advantage, like luring that crowd into an enemy encampment. Weighing the pros and cons of each situation should hopefully prove stimulating, rather than being an arduous routine of trial and error.
That's not to say a specific weather-based situation is safer than another. These are just environment-driven factors that create a slew of new variables to consider, whether you're discovering shortcuts after spending time exploring your surroundings or throwing rocks to lure enemies to bear traps. These kinds of actions highlight Days Gone's sneaking component, which echoes Bend Studio's pedigree for stealth, given its history with the Syphon Filter series.
Days Gone promises a gameplay loop where you're reacting to unforeseeable events while also being an inventive and proactive participant. The drive to be resourceful is also one of Days Gone's draws, although the same can be said about a lot of other adventure games. The benefit of a zombie apocalypse premise is that resource scarcity naturally factors into the game's challenges and narrative. In the case of Deacon's role in this demo, he's on a mission to save a friend who left his encampment and has since gone missing. In the process of rescuing his friend from a gang of marauders, Deacon proves himself to be quick-witted and skilled with a handgun. His motivation is still a mystery: did he rescue his friend out of loyalty or for more self-serving reasons?
Given the situations created by specific environmental conditions, Days Gone looks to deliver at least a modicum of replay value inspired by roguelikes without that genre's extreme unpredictability. This is complemented by the game's emphasis on stealth and how the changes in one's surroundings presents new infiltration routes. The most gratifying stealth playthrough is the kind where you're empowered with just enough tools and knowledge to infiltrate a hostile setting successfully sight unseen. With any luck, Days Gone will provide more than just a handful of such experiences.
Billed as a standalone expansion to Uncharted 4, The Lost Legacy puts players in the role of Chloe Frazer as she ventures into the mountains of India with mercenary Nadine Ross. The two are in search of an ancient relic called the Tusk of Ganesh in order to keep it out of the hands of the warmonger Asav.
The new gameplay footage showcases what is presumably the first area of the game. After Chloe and Nadine climb to the top of a mountain to take in the scenery, the two become embroiled in a firefight that sees the duo traversing crumbling walkways, gunning down foes in the dense jungle, and eventually stumbling upon the ruins of an ancient Indian temple. You can watch the full video at the top of this story.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is scheduled to release for PS4 on August 22 and will retail for $40. Despite being planned as a DLC chapter for Uncharted 4, the game could be over 10 hours long, according to Naughty Dog.
This week brought a post-E3 announcement of some major new features coming to Pokemon Go. Now, an update is beginning to roll out that introduces much of what we recently heard about.
According to developer Niantic, the update--version 1.31.1 for iOS and 0.67.1 for Android--is "in the process" of being distributed today. Among the additions to Pokemon Go are the new motivation system for Gyms, Raid Battles, and the ability to search your Pokemon collection.
The Raids are particularly notable as these "can" yield Legendary Pokemon, developer Niantic explained to us. Those are a much-anticipated aspect of the game, but unfortunately, the other big missing element--PvP--is not part of this update. Niantic said it's still exploring the possibility but declined to say if introducing it was next on the company's to-do list.
Other additions include Gym Badges (which can be leveled up by battling, giving Pokemon berries at a Gym, or spinning one's Photo Disc) and new items that can be obtained after defeating a Raid boss. Aspects of the update will not be immediately available, as Niantic has said it will temporarily disable all Gyms until the update is distributed to everyone. Once that's done, Raids will roll out to a select group of people in beta form with the number ramping up over the next few weeks.
Full patch notes for the new update can be found below.
Pokemon Go Update 1.31.1 (iOS) / 0.67.1 (Android) Patch Notes
Gym features significantly updated to add the all-new motivation system.
Added new Gym Badge feature.
Added in-app and push notification system for Gyms.
Added Raid Battles, a new cooperative gameplay experience.
Added four new items available only by completing Raid Battles.
Added Raids tab to Nearby screen.
Added search functionality to Pokemon collection screen.
June's free PlayStation Plus games have been available for the past two weeks, offering the standard selection of six games across PS4, PS3, and Vita. PS4 owners can now pick up an additional freebie that's seemingly gone under the radar.
The Plus Free Starter Pack is now available for Crossout, a vehicle-based MMO that launched for PS4 at the end of May. This pack can only be assigned to an account once and consists of a unique vehicle called Snappy, two weapons (a pair of LM-54 Chord machine guns), and a unique cabin called Duster. You can see all of this below.
Once you've claimed the freebie--grab it here--the game should automatically prompt you to create the vehicle next time you visit the in-game garage. Alternatively, you can build it later by going to the Blueprints menu.
Crossout is described as a "post-apocalyptic MMO action game." It's free-to-play on both PS4 and Xbox One, the latter of which offers this same freebie for all players. The game is also playable on PC, though a Steam release is still on the way.
We don't know how long this offer will be available for, but the free PlayStation Plus games will stick around for two more weeks. They'll be replaced by July's freebies, which have not yet been announced, on Tuesday, July 4.
Sony has revealed the latest batch of deals on the PlayStation Store. This week's offerings include discounts on a number of Konami titles for both PS4 and PS3, not to mention double discounts for PS Plus members.
The Metal Gear series is the highlight of this week's Konami sale. PS4 owners can get Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain for $10, while Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is on sale for $5. Both are included in Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, which also contains all the DLC for the titles and is available this week for $22.49. The PS4 version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 is on sale as well for $20.
This week's deals kick off today, June 20, and run until 11 AM ET / 8 AM PT on June 27. You can find the complete list of games on sale this week on the PlayStation Store website.
Although Valve itself has still not announced a start date for the Steam Summer sale, it wouldn't feel right if it weren't leaked ahead of time. That appears to be the case with PayPal once again--and the sale is set to begin quite soon.
PayPal's UK Twitter account today sent out a message revealing that this year's Summer sale kicks off at 6 PM BST (10 AM PT / 1 PM ET) on Thursday, June 22. It claims, "It's official," though, as noted above, Valve has still not made an actual announcement itself. Dubious as this may seem, PayPal appears to have a promotion (at least in the UK) where spending £20 on Steam with PayPal during the sale will save you £5. You can read the details of this here.
Deals from a previous Steam sale
PayPal's promotion runs until July 5, which may be the end of the Steam sale. These dates line up with an image that surfaced on Reddit last month, which alleged that the Steam sale would run from June 22 until July 5.
Assuming Valve doesn't implement any major changes, you can expect this to be a fairly straightforward sale. The company has moved away from complex setups where deals are rotated in at regular intervals throughout the day. We'll report back as more details are announced.
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