Call of Duty: Black Ops III is getting a new bundle of cosmetic items soon, the Double Duty Pack. What's most interesting about this specific pack is that the proceeds from its sale will go toward helping veterans of the American military.
It's a part of Activision's charity, the Call of Duty Endowment, which works toward getting more veterans hired after their time in the military. The pack features the Double Duty Calling Card, a player ID background that is animated to show a soldier transitioning from warfare to civilian life. You can see it below.
The pack also comes with three Rare Supply Drops, which give loot ranging from special weapons to other Calling Cards and weapon skins. It costs $5 and launches tomorrow, July 28. It'll be available until February 7.
According to Activision, "The Endowment has funded more than 37,000 job placements, at an average cost-per-placement of $552, with an average starting salary of $56,784, and with a six-month retention rate of 88 percent. The Endowment hopes to place 50,000 vets into high-quality careers by 2019."
PC players who have yet to pick up Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare can now get a free taste of the game. This weekend, the popular first-person shooter is free to play on Steam--though there is a slight catch.
From now until Sunday, July 30, Steam users will be able to try out Infinite Warfare at no cost--but only its multiplayer modes. Steam notes that this weekend's free trial "only includes Multiplayer content," meaning players won't be able to try either the game's Campaign or Zombies modes. Still, considering that multiplayer has always been the most popular aspect of the series, players won't miss out on too much this weekend.
The free trial ends at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET. Those who'd like to purchase Infinite Warfare can snag the game at a discount. Steam is offering the standard game for $30, while the Digital Legacy Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition retail for $49.59 and $60, respectively. These discounts only run until July 31.
If Infinite Warfare doesn't appeal to you, you can also try the upcoming LawBreakers for free this weekend. The game is in open beta right now for PS4 and PC. The full title releases on August 8.
Final Fantasy XV won't be the only game where you can drive the Regalia for much longer. Microsoft has revealed the car driven by Noctis and company is on its way to last year's excellent racing game, Forza Horizon 3.
First announced earlier today at ChinaJoy 2017, the massive E3-esque show taking place in China this weekend, Microsoft shared the news with a look at the car in action. It features a 7.2-liter supercharged V12 with a maximum of 536 horsepower. Check it out in the trailer above.
You'll be able to get your hands on the car for free by having played Forza Horizon 3 (on Xbox One or PC) or Final Fantasy XV (on Xbox One) by August 1. Forza players will receive it through the in-game message system, while Final Fantasy XV players will get an Xbox Live message with a code that can be redeemed for the car.
It's unclear if you'll be able to purchase the car as DLC or obtain it through other means. Microsoft previously offered Halo's Warthog as a drivable vehicle in Horizon 3 for free if you had played certain Halo games, but it also later offered it through an in-game event.
Microsoft does have another upcoming game--Forza Motorsport 7--that it could have potentially brought the Regalia to, but Horizon 3's less serious style of racing seems like the better fit for a crossover like this. That game launches on October 3.
Horizon 3 could have marked the first time you'd be able to take the Regalia off-road. However, a Final Fantasy XV update earlier this year finally afforded players the freedom to drive the car without rails, rather than being restricted to roads only. The RPG will also soon support multiplayer.
Another Warcraft character is on the way to Heroes of the Storm in the near future. Garrosh Hellscream, the Horde warchief, is a Warrior-class hero who sounds extremely difficult to kill.
Whereas other frustratingly hard-to-kill characters use abilities to shield themselves or become invulnerable ('sup, Varian?), Garrosh simply takes less damage as he loses health. His trait, Armor Up, provides him with one armor for each 2% of his max health that is missing. The overview video above shows this in effect, but essentially, a Garrosh with little health will be a real pain to take down.
Garrosh's first ability is Groundbreaker, which deals damage in a cone in front of him; those caught near the edge of it are pulled to him. Bloodthirst deals damage to a nearby enemy and heals him for 10% of his missing health, or 20% if the enemy hit is a hero (making him even more challenging to take down). Wrecking Ball is the most intriguing of the three, as it allows him to pick up and throw an enemy (including heroes) to a designated location nearby, which also slows them.
His first Heroic ability option is Warlord's Challenge, which silences and taunts nearby enemies, forcing them to attack him for 1.5 seconds. The other Heroic option is Decimate, which deals damage and slows nearby enemies. Hitting heroes with this reduces the cooldown, and the ability can store up to three charges.
In addition to unveiling Garrosh, Blizzard has released a trailer showing some of the other things it has in development. These include a new motorcycle mount (which does a wheelie when you first take off) and a bunch of skins, such as a Terran-style suit for ETC, one that resembles an engine and buzzsaw weapon for Garrosh, and an Ultralisk-esque makeover for Anub'arak.
A specific release date for this content, including Garrosh, has not been announced, but you can likely expect it all in the coming weeks.
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds has grown into a wildly popular title since its release in March. However, its creator is not someone who considers himself a gamer or who has a deep love for classic games. On the contrary, Brendan "Playerunknown" Greene doesn't have any interest in classic series like The Legend of Zelda, according to a new interview.
Talking with GameSpot sister site CNET, Greene stated that he doesn't consider himself a gamer. Although he played and enjoyed games growing up, he was never passionate about well-known series. "I don't consider myself a gamer, compared to a lot of people I meet at these conventions where their life is dedicated to games," he said. "I enjoy games, but I don't consider myself on that level. I've never played Zelda. I've never played these classic games because they don't interest me."
What he has played, however, are many hardcore, ultra-realistic military games that attempt to simulate combat. He explained that his favorite game growing up was Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. "I played the absolute s*** out of that game until there were no more servers left," he stated. "I loved the whole idea of it: the fact there was bullet drop, that it was somewhat realistic, and I could go be a sniper quite easily."
Not surprisingly, this love of hardcore military sims led him to grow frustrated with modern, mainstream AAA games. He expressed irritation with current design trends such as quicktime events. "My frustration with a lot of AAA game titles was that they weren't hard anymore," he stated. "Once you die two or three times, you know where the enemies are coming from, and in a lot of the bigger titles, the ending... I come from an era where the end boss for a game, you spend f***ing days or weeks trying to beat him. With a lot of the AAA titles these days, there's no boss at the end. Just press F at a particular time, and it plays the cut sequence at the end."
There are many more interesting facts from Greene's life and development career in the full interview; you can read it here.
We've ranked our favorite Dragon Ball Z characters from least powerful to most powerful. Only scores based on canonical works--anime, movies, manga and encyclopedias--were considered. Where there were multiple scores for individual characters, we opted for the highest score or broke out the character into multiple stages.
Let's power up and get started. First up: Master Roshi's pet.
Reported power level: .001, as of Dragon Ball Z, Season 1.
His chief attribute is longevity, which is nice, but not especially helpful in a fight.
Image: FUNimation Entertainment
17. Gohan, pre-transformation
Reported power level: 1, as of Dragon Ball Z manga, Vol. 1, #9
Even a powerful warrior has to start somewhere.
Image: FUNimation Entertainment
16. Master Roshi
Reported power level: 139, as of Dragon Ball Z manga, Vol. 2, #14
Sure, he's "perverted," but he's also got some skills, including telekinesis and telepathy.
Image: FUNimation Entertainment
15. Goku, weakest form
Reported power level: 334, Dragon Ball Z manga, Vol. 1, #5
Our hero goes through a lot, including death, in this chapter of the Dragon Ball Z saga. He's got a long way to go until reaching his ultimate strength.
Image: FUNimation Entertainment
14. Raditz
Reported power level: 1,500, per Daizenshuu #7 (Dragon Ball encyclopedia)
Despite having little screen time in the first season, Goku's older brother makes an impression thanks to his ability to withstand power blasts.
Image: FUNimation Entertainment
13. Nappa
Reported power level: 4,000, per Daizenshuu #7 (Dragon Ball encyclopedia)
Reported power level: 18,000, as of Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might
This enemy turned friend of Goku packs a punch with a trio of highlight-reel moves: the Special Beam Cannon, the Hellzone Grenade, and the Light Grenade.
Image: FUNimation Entertainment
9. Vegeta, weakest form
Reported power level: 18,000, as of Dragon Ball Z manga, Vol. 5
Bungie finally announced when PC players will be able to play the Destiny 2 beta in its Weekly Update today. In addition, the studio also shared what kind of PC you'll need to run the game.
Bungie recommends that you have a pretty beefy machine to run the game, which isn't surprising considering Destiny 2's graphical and processing complexity. For processors, Bungie recommends that you have at least an Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD Ryzen R5 1600X. For GPUs, meanwhile, the studio suggests an Nvidia GTX 970 or an AMD Radeon R9 390. 8 GB of RAM is recommended, too.
Interestingly, Bungie also gives a few suggestions in case you're looking to upgrade your PC to better run the beta. The studio suggests upgrading to an Intel Core i5-7400 CPU and an Nvidia GTX 1060 6 GB GPU.
Finally, if you want to go all out and run Destiny 2 like Bungie does at events, the studio shared the specs for its "Event Machine." To build such a rig, you'll need the high-powered Nvidia GTX 1080Ti 11GB GPU and Intel i7-7700k processor.
You can see the full list of specs below; Bungie warns that these specs could change by the time the game launches in full. The beta begins for people who have pre-ordered the game on August 29, while it opens to the public on August 29. It ends on August 31. Destiny 2 officially launches on PC on October 24.
The latest entry in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, has just made its debut in Japan, but there's been no word on a western release. While we still don't know exactly when to expect it, Square Enix has confirmed the game will be localized for western markets.
In a video published today, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii reveals that work has already begun on localization. It's being translated into English and four other, unspecified languages.
"There's quite a lot of text, so it's an exorbitant amount of work," Horii said. "But we're doing our best and working hard to get this game to all of you as soon as possible, so I sincerely hope you look forward to the game."
Square Enix added that Dragon Quest XI will be out in the West at some point in 2018. More details will be announced this fall.
This announcement did not specify which versions of the game would come to the West. It launched just yesterday in Japan for PS4 and 3DS, although a Switch version is also in development. Additionally, there was no word on the special-edition 2DS or PS4 systems coming to the West; it's possible they'll remain exclusive to Japan, where the series is phenomenally popular.
Namco Museum is the highlight of today's releases. The retro compilation retails for $30 and features some of the publisher's most popular arcade classics, including Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, Tower of Druga, and more. All of the arcade games feature online leaderboards, and players can hold the Switch vertically to simulate their original arcade display.
Perhaps the most notable title in the collection, however, is Pac-Man Vs., the rare multiplayer Pac-Man game that was originally released for GameCube. Pac-Man Vs. was one of the first games to utilize the system's GameCube-Game Boy Advance link cable. Three players would play as ghosts on the television, which displayed only a limited view of the maze, while the fourth controlled Pac-Man using a Game Boy Advance. Players will need two Switch consoles in order to play Pac-Man Vs., but only one copy of the game; a free app can be downloaded from the Eshop that allows players to join a session that's being hosted on the other Switch.
The other new release today is Ultra Hyperball. This retro-inspired party game retails for $10 and has players vying to keep the ball in the air. The game features pixel visuals, five different game styles, and two-to-four player co-op and versus modes. You can watch a trailer for the game below.
Nintendo's 3DS handheld family is deep into its life cycle, and with so many versions already released combined with high demand for the Switch, you may be wondering where another 3DS model fits in. With the New 2DS XL, not only will newcomers get access to its vast library of games, but we get the best designed version of the dedicated handheld yet. As you can tell from the name, the New 2DS XL ditches 3D capabilities, but like the other DS systems with the "New" moniker, it's equipped with the stronger processor and adopts many of the features that make the New 3DS XL great.
How The New 2DS XL Is Built
The original 2DS is an entry-level version with its slate-like design and omission of autostereoscopic 3D. It was also part of the older 2DS/3DS line that didn't have the faster hardware or extra buttons. Now with the New 2DS XL, we get a handheld that doesn't skip out on important features. Since this is an XL model, it's equipped with 3DS XL-sized displays: a 4.9 in screen up top, and a 4.2 inch resistive touchscreen on the bottom. Both screens are well over an inch bigger than those of the original 2DS.
The New 2DS XL alongside the New 3DS XL.
This latest handheld adopts the clamshell design of the 3DS systems and mostly improves upon it. It's slightly shorter in length, but shares the same width and depth as the 3DS XL. Additionally, a near perfect seal is created between the two halves of the 2DS XL when it's closed. This is due to how the two screens are seated; the bottom screen doesn't protrude as with every other clamshell-based 3DS and the top screen has a sleek smartphone-like build. The chassis sports a matte finish which makes for better grip and tops off the system's simple, elegant look.
However, in every 3DS I've used, the hinge seemed to feel a little loose, causing the top portion to wobble back and forth if you gave it a little shake. Unfortunately, the same holds true for the 2DS XL. It's as if the top is loosely screwed into the hinge; it gives a bit of a fragile feel to an otherwise solidly built system.
There are a few small changes compared to the New 3DS XL. The 2DS XL's stereo speakers are located at the bottom corners of the body, but at louder volumes, you'll notice the sound rattle the backend of the system, which makes it feel a bit cheap. Along the bottom of the system is the power button, and a 3.5mm audio jack adjacent to the stylus slot. The stylus is slightly shorter than the previous 3DS stylus by about half an inch. There's now an enclosure that houses the game cartridge and microSD card, a noteworthy improvement over the 3DS XL, which left game cartridges exposed and forced you to take out the stubborn backplate to insert the SD card. The front-facing camera moved to the hinge and the two forward facing cameras moved to the top of the backplate.
System
Weight
Dimensions (inches)
Screen Sizes (inches)
New 2DS XL
9.2 oz / 260 g
6.3 x 6.4 (open) / 3.4 (closed) x 0.8
4.9 (top) / 4.2 (bottom)
New 3DS XL
11.6 oz / 329 g
6.3 x 6.8 (open) / 3.7 (closed) x 0.8
4.9 (top) / 4.2 (bottom)
2DS
9.2 oz / 260 g
5.7 x 5.0 x 0.8
3.5 (top) / 3.0 (bottom)
It's All About The Games
The original 3DS released in early 2011, which was a very different time for handheld gaming devices. And through each iteration of the 3DS--even in the "New" models--screen resolutions haven't changed. In 2017, the 400x240 (top) and 320x240 (bottom) resolutions feel somewhat antiquated and noticeably low-res compared to many other devices. You can't exactly blame the New 2DS XL, though. Higher resolution screens would also require hardware faster than the already-upgraded processor of the "New" DS systems. Equipped with the quad-core ARM11 CPU at 804 MHz, the New 2DS XL does provide that extra juice for snappy navigation through the operating system and user interface.
Every game in the 3DS family will work on the New 2DS XL, but you won't get the autostereoscopic 3D. While the 3D effect was certainly neat, especially with how the New 3DS XL auto-detected your distance from the device, it isn't essential to play any of the system's games as it doesn't serve a gameplay function.
The adoption of the c-stick means you'll get superior camera controls and additional functions in certain games. And while it looks and feels stiff, the c-stick recognizes minuscule movements. After playing Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, it's hard to imagine playing it without the c-stick. The circle pad also offers smooth movement, but still doesn't match the ergonomics of an actual analog sticks. As for the rest of the controls (face buttons, directional pad, and triggers), they all offer solid tactile feel.
When it comes to battery life, expect roughly 3.5 to 4.5 hours of play time after a full charge. Our battery life test was conducted by playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with full brightness and Wi-Fi enabled, and resulted in approximately 3 hours and 55 minutes straight of play time.
What's In The Box
Along with the system itself, you'll get a 4 GB Toshiba microSDHC memory card, though you'll want more storage capacity if you plan on downloading games. For reference, the download size of Pokemon Sun / Moon is almost 3.2 GB, leaving room for not much else. But older games don't take up as much space: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D takes up about 650 MB and Mario Kart 7 is around 1 GB. One of the biggest blunders of the New 3DS XL was the absence of an AC adapter, but thankfully a charger is packaged with the New 2DS XL. It's the same charger required for other models and uses the same proprietary charging port. An NFC reader is built into the system, so you'll get support for all your amiibo.
Everything that comes with the New 2DS XL.
Should You Buy A New 2DS XL?
At a time when the Nintendo Switch is changing how people play games at home and on the go, it's fair to question the need for another model of the 3DS system--especially over six years into its life cycle. It comes down to whether or not you've played what this platform has to offer. A few notable games are set to release later this year, like Metroid: Samus Returns and Fire Emblem Warriors, but the 3DS is a known quantity at this point. For someone who's looking for a portable gaming platform, the New 2DS XL is a great solution, especially as the Switch starts to build out its roster of games. The New 2DS XL is also half the price of a Switch.
Despite a few shortcomings--such as the wobbly top screen and older tech--there's a lot to like about the New 2DS XL. Should you consider buying one if you already have a New 3DS XL? Probably not. However, if you're still on one of the older DS models or interested in jumping into the expansive library of 3DS games, I would highly recommend you consider the New 2DS XL. The platform may be showing its age, but it's Nintendo's best DS system yet.
At Comic-Con, attendees got to see some amazing merchandise at the show, which include action figures, statues, and even fidget spinners. We combed the show floor over the course of the five day convention and found some incredibly cool products from a bunch of different retailers. Here are some of the best collectibles we saw.
Hasbro
Hasbro had an event showcasing their upcoming products, which featured Marvel, Transformers, Magic: The Gathering, and more. There were quite a few standouts during the event, including a sweet Hot Rod Transformers toy.
Factory Entertainment
We stopped by Factory Entertainment to check out what they had to offer, and there was a ton of interesting Game Of Thrones-related items, a few of which were exclusive to the convention.
DC Collectibles
DC gave us an early look at some of their collectibles, featuring statues and action figures based on superheroes and villains from the company's comic book universe.
While we've already shown you quite a bit of what Sideshow had to offer, there were some great statues from the world of G.I. Joe, Witcher, She-Ra, and more. Here are some other great looking--and rather expensive--products the company showed off during the con.
Finally, the show floor was littered this year with fidget spinners--some officially licensed and some pretty sketchy. Here are a few of the coolest ones we saw. If you need more of a spinner fix, check out all the ones we saw during Comic-Con here.
The final beta test for LawBreakers is now live and will be active for the next few days. It's open to everyone on PC and PlayStation 4.
You can grab the beta through Steam or the PlayStation Store right now. Even if you've played the game before, the version available in this open beta features some changes. There's a new sandbox tutorial mode, all character customization options that will be in the live game are now present, melee range has been reduced, and a number of classes have been adjusted. You can check out the full patch notes for a rundown.
If you're able to jump in and play three matches on PC before 12 PM PT today, you'll be entered to win some prizes, including a GTX 1080 Ti. PS4 players can share screenshots from the game on Twitter with certain hashtags during the beta for a chance to win a custom LawBreakers PS4 console.
LawBreakers launches in full on August 8 for $30, but the PS4 and PC versions won't feature cross-play. Regarding the price, studio head Cliff Bleszinski noted during E3, there's "none of that $60 multiplayer-only bulls***." The arena-based shooter features various classes (including one that can quickly swing around levels), low-gravity areas, and the ability to fire shots behind you over your shoulder. You can check out some gameplay in the video above.
As always, San Diego Comic-Con this year was home to a tremendous amount of excellent cosplay. Attendees came out dressed as their favorite characters from a wide variety of games, comics, and movies, and we've gathered together a selection of the best for you to peruse in the gallery above. You can also see a video version of the best Comic-Con cosplay.
By Anonymous on Jul 28, 2017 09:30 pm Overcooked is out for the Nintendo Switch which means its time for Joey and Jean-Luc to cook some food and yell at each other.
Bandai Namco has released a new batch of DLC for Tekken 7. Players can now add another fighter to their roster, as well as a variety of items and outfits based on the company's Taiko Drum Master series.
The new fighter that players can purchase today is the vampiric Eliza, who initially debuted in Tekken Revolution. Bandai Namco had previously offered Eliza as a downloadable bonus for those who pre-ordered Tekken 7, but now she's available for all players to purchase for $5. You can watch a video of Eliza in action above.
In addition to Eliza, players can now download the humorous Taiko no Tatsujin DLC pack for free. The pack contains 10 items based on the rhythm series, including a t-shirt, health gauge skins, and various effects. You can see screenshots of the Taiko items above.
Overcooked is out for the Nintendo Switch which means its time for Joey and Jean-Luc to cook some food and yell at each other.
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