For the first time since the release of Destiny 2, Xur the mysterious vendor that appears each week selling exotic weapons, armor, and other items, has arrived. This week, the Agent of the Nine can be found on Nessus, hanging out at the top of the map in the area marked Watcher's Grave.
In a change from the first game, an icon showing where Xur is appears on the map and can be tracked to make getting to him easier. Once you're in the Watcher's Grave, look up and you'll find him standing atop a tree. In exchange for your Legendary Shards, he'll sell you the items in the list below.
Generally, the response to Xur's offerings hasn't been positive as the items he's selling are available as loot drops fairly early in the game. The standout item is the Merciless fusion rifle, so grab that if you haven't got one already.
In other Destiny 2 news, the game's first raid, Leviathan, is out now. For everything you need to know about, check out GameSpot's in-depth Raid guide. Bungie has also said it is expecting to release the next update for Destiny 2 next week. In the studio's latest weekly blog post, it said this update--1.0.1.3--will address "some known issues." One of these is the "harmful imagery" that players recently discovered.
By Anonymous on Sep 16, 2017 12:12 am Players will be able to choose which chunks of data to download, avoiding content and other languages they don't need.
Blizzard will once again draw on its most recent game, Overwatch, for upcoming content in Heroes of the Storm. A pair of characters and a new map inspired by the shooter are on their way to HotS in the near future, as are new skins and an event.
On the character side, the first of the two is Ana, who in Overwatch serves as a hybrid sniper/healer that's also capable of mitigating healing done by the enemy team. Coming after her is the explosion-crazed Junkrat. No specific details for either character have been announced yet, but given Blizzard's usual pattern in the past, we'll likely be hearing about them soon.
The map is called Volskaya Foundry, which, as you can guess, is inspired by the Volskaya Industries map in Overwatch. It's the second Overwatch map to make it into the game, though the first one, Hanamura, has been temporarily removed so that it can be improved, possibly due to its complexity. This new one sounds more straightforward--albeit with a cool twist.
Volskaya is a large, three-lane map with conveyor belts that can speed up (or slow down) players' movement as they attempt to periodically capture points around the map. As in Overwatch, capture progress can be blocked by a single enemy; if one steps into the area at 99%, you'll have to deal with them before reaching 100%. Certain mercenary camps also yield sentry guns that can be placed around the map.
By securing the capture points, two members of a team can join together to control a giant mech called the Triglav Protector that can then be used to push a lane or generally wreak havoc. Much like the co-op character Cho'Gall, one player controls movement while another serves as the gunner. Only two players at a time can take control of it; Blizzard told GameSpot that it hasn't yet looked at characters or vehicles used by more than two players. But you'll have more of an opportunity to play with the Protector than just on Volskaya; Blizzard plans to introduce a single-lane Brawl mode called Bash 'em Smash 'em Robots where players can more freely use them.
Additionally, a new event is coming to the game that also draws inspiration from Overwatch. Pachimari Mania causes Loot Boxes to appear around the starting area during the pre-match phase. By scrambling to open them, players have a chance to unlock a new portrait, banner, spray, and emoji.
New skins and mounts were also announced today. Skins include the Shrike version of Ana from Overwatch, as well as Commandant Varian, while the mounts are Celestial Raptor and the Invisible Horse, all of which are pictured above. A specific release date for all of this content has not yet been announced.
Destiny 2's first Raid has finally gone live. Titled Leviathan, this latest dungeon series is packed with an assortment of challenging puzzles and boss fights to overcome. To help you get past all of its hurdles, we've gathered useful tips to follow as well as what you need to do to access the Leviathan Raid. We're currently diving straight into the Raid right now, so be sure to check back often as we update this feature with more details on how to beat each individual section.
For more guides for the game, including breakdowns of the three classes, along with our skill and ability galleries for the various subclasses, be sure to visit our Destiny 2 guides and walkthroughs roundup for more information on what's happening in the online world of the Guardians.
In order to access the Raid, simply select the Leviathan icon in the top right corner of the Director, which you can see in the image below. You'll also want to initiate a questline called On the Comms, which is unlocked at random after having spent time killing Cabal. Once you complete its major steps, you unlock a new step called Destroyer of Worlds that requires you to complete the Leviathan Raid. Doing so will net you a sweet prize after completing the Raid.
Major Raid Prerequisites
Aside from completing the On the Comms questline, make sure your Power Level is at least 270 before taking on the Leviathan Raid. Going in with anything lower is manageable, but be aware that entering the Raid with a lower Power Level could make you a detriment to your Fireteam. It's also recommended to enter the Raid with a full fireteam of six players.
Suggested Gear
Skyburner's Oath - The Skyburner's Oath fires solar slugs that do extra damage to Cabal and penetrates Phalanx shields. This is a handy weapon to use that'll assist your efforts to take down the loads of Cabal you'll encounter in the Leviathan Raid.
Rat King - The Rat King may seem like an odd choice to bring into the Raid, but it can be a worthwhile asset given it becomes more powerful as more members of your Fireteam have it.
Leviathan Raid Guide
Part 1: Embankment
After starting the Raid, proceed forward until you'll encounter enemies. These foes won't harm you unless you shoot them; attack them or run past them. Proceed up the slope and head through the door.
Part 2: Leviathan Castellum (Part 1)
Upon reaching the Castellum, you'll begin a trial that has you claiming and defending three Standard. To accomplish this, your group should separate into two teams: one to defend the a central point where the Standard are to be taken, and another to retrieve them from their respective bearers. Keep in mind that if the Cabal manage to get too close to the central point, then the trial will restart.
Once all three Standard have been returned, a door will open up the path ahead where you'll find the first of the Leviathan Raid loot chests, containing a Legendary engram, the Calus' Selected shader, and the Emperor Calus Tokena Token.
Part 3: Royal Pools
In the next section, you'll encounter four pressure plates, with a fifth located at the center. Each of these plates has an orb on it that imbues you with a one-minute buff that protects you from environmental damage. Make sure you and your teammates activate this buff before starting the trial, as standing in the water in this area without it will quickly drain your health. Once you're ready, have four of your teammates stand on each pressure plate.
The premise of the trial is as follows: four people must maintain position on their respective pressure plates to slowly raise a weight up a chain that will expose nine lanterns that you need to destroy. But as you'd expect, powerful enemies spawn, making the process significantly more difficult. As the assault wages on, make sure you and your teammates keep re-activating the buff. Once all the lanterns are destroyed, the trial will end and a loot chest will spawn containing an Emperor Calus Token.
Part 4: Leviathan Castellum (Part 2)
The next section has you once again defending and retrieving three Standards. However, this time around the central point you must defend has switched places with one of the points in the surrounding area. Regardless, utilize the same two-team strategy to complete the trial. After you've succeeded, a loot chest will spawn containing glimmer.
Part 5: Pleasure Gardens
The next trial is trickier than the previous two. First, eliminate the enemies you see before heading towards the massive golden statue. Have two of your teammates pick up orbs and charge them at the light beams scattered around the area. An opening should appear beneath the statue; remaining members should then grab the pollen inside. The members up top must then guide pollen holders to special flower scattered around the area. But be careful, there are six Warhounds wandering the area that can make short work of your teammates if spotted. You also have a limited time to get the pollen holders to a flower before a Warhound's Psionic Howl resets your progress. Regardless, once pollen holders reach a flower, those up top must fire their orbs at the flower to imbue their teammates with a strength buff. Do this two to three times to build up enough power.
Once powered up, the pollen holders should then attack the Warhounds. But if a Warhound sees your teammates, they have one minute to damage them and retreat to the safe room below the golden statue. Rinse and repeat this process until the Warhounds are dead. Keep in mind that you only have three solid chances to defeat all six Warhounds, as the safe room will lock up after the third attempt. You'll then get Irrigation Key and a loot chest will appear on top of the safe room containing random loot and an Emperor Calus Token.
Part 6: Leviathan Castellum (Part 3)
Once again the same principle applies here. Simply utilize the same two-team strategy to obtain the Standards and complete the trial. A loot chest will spawn containing more glimmer.
Part 7: The Gauntlet
To start the trial, jump onto the round platforms to summon enemies. Steadily kill them to fill up the meter under each pillar in the room. Two orbs will eventually spawn; have two of your teammates pick them up. This transports them into tunnels in the surrounding area.
Those in the tunnel need to run through gates with rows of circles on them. Energy barriers close off these uniquely designed gates, so tunnel runners need to quickly call out which gate's row of circles has a red one. Teammates outside then have a limited time to shoot at the rows of glowing triangles on the corresponding gate that doesn't contain a red circle. Successfully doing this will open up the gate, clearing the path for the tunnel runners. The two tunnel runners converge and throw their orbs into an energy fountain.
Once you have completed this three games, your entire team can go to the middle and grab an orb and run through the tunnels. After the entire team throws their orbs into the energy fountain, the trial will end.
Part 8: Emperor Calus
After clearing the third Castellum challenge, you'll be led to Emperor Calus' throne room. To initiate the battle, shoot the cup from his hand, and he'll start spawning enemies into the room for you to fight. Eventually, Calus will teleport three players into a purple dimension to do battle with a giant projection of his head, while the other three will be left to defend themselves in the throne room. Four Psions then spawn in the throne room each with a symbol floating above them--make sure your teammates don't kill them.
Those transported inside the purple dimension will each notice a different symbol on the Calus projection's forehead. Each player needs to shout out the symbol they see to their teammates in the throne room. The players back in the real world must then kill the Psion aligned with the symbol that wasn't called out. This lowers the barrier surrounding the Calus projection's head.
The Calus projection will then begin to spew skull projectiles. When this barrage is over, orbs will spawn that can take the players back into the throne room. At this point, everyone should climb on whichever platform is glowing in the throne room in order to receive the Force of Will buff. Fire at Calus until he becomes invincible, and then move to the next glowing platform to shoot at him again. Make sure to avoid his attacks during this portion of the fight; it can instantly wipe out your team. Rinse and repeat this process until he goes down.
New content for Destiny 2 continues to roll out. Following the Leviathan Raid earlier this week, Crucible players now have a high-end challenge as well. Trials of the Nine is now available, but only for a limited time.
There are a number of pre-requisites for accessing Trials of the Nine, as it's not intended for just anyone. Like other Crucible modes, Trials is a 4v4 mode, but it's one that Bungie describes as "high intensity." To participate, you'll need to have completed the campaign, fulfilled the Call to Arms Milestone (where you simply play enough Crucible matches before the weekly reset) at least once, and have a Power level of at least 260.
While you'll have to tick all of those boxes to even be allowed in, you'll also need to form a Fireteam in advance. Additionally, Trials is one of Destiny 2's activities where your equipment is locked, so be sure to review what you have equipped and get ready before diving in.
Provided none of that stands in your way, Trials will pit you against other teams of four in an attempt to win a total of seven matches before losing three. Successfully doing so will complete the newly added Trials of the Nine Milestone, the reward for which is Spire access. Trials progress resets as part of the aforementioned weekly reset. We'll report back as more details about Trials are uncovered.
Books outlining strategies, expanding the lore, or showing off the art of video game worlds are commonplace. Video game cookbooks, on the other hand, are not something you find quite so often.
Following up on the World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook, Chelsea Monroe-Cassel has a new recipe collection on the way, this time inspired by Hearthstone. The Innkeeper's Tavern Cookbook promises to include over 50 "Hearthstone-inspired eats, cocktails, and mocktails" according to the book's description.
Although theory- and deck-crafting use very different skills from food-crafting, the creativity and skills required for home chefs have obvious parallels to the gaming world. The book's publisher, Insight, shared three recipes from Inkeeper's Tavern, which you can check out, and try yourself, below.
Polymorph Puffs: Made with lamb sausage--a grown-up version of pigs-in-a-blanket
Blood of the Ancient One: An Old Gods-inspired take on the Bloody Mary
Fireside Log: Roll cake with a distinctive blue spiral when you cut through it.
Hearthstone: Innkeeper's Tavern Cookbook will retail for $22 and is set to release on November 7, though pre-orders are available now. If you want a taste of what might be in store, we put together a video last year making a Delicious Chocolate Cake from Monroe-Cassel's previous Warcraft book.
Retro peripheral manufacturer 8bitdo announced today that its SN30 Pro and SF30 Pro controllers for the Nintendo Switch will hit store shelves on December 10 this year. Preorders are now open through Amazon and carry a price tag of $50 USD. The SN30 Pro sports the color scheme of the original Super Nintendo controller released in North America; the SF30 Pro rocks the Super Famicom controller's color with red, green, blue, and yellow face buttons.
Both the SN30 Pro and SF30 Pro are fully featured with two shoulder buttons, two triggers, and two analog sticks that click downward. In addition to working with the Switch, they're compatible with Windows PCs, macOS systems, and Android devices. These controllers connect through USB-C and work wirelessly through bluetooth. There's currently no word on the approximate battery life of the controllers' lithium ion battery.
Take a closer look at 8bitdo's gamepads:
SN30 Pro (top), SF30 Pro (bottom)
These retro gamepads also come with rumble vibration, a turbo function, and motion controls for Switch users. While they work with Android devices, the smartphone clip shown in the photos is sold separately for $8 USD.
8bitdo previously released non-Pro versions of the SN30 and SF30, which didn't include analog sticks, or triggers. We previously reviewed Hyperkin's take on an SNES-style controller in the X91 for Xbox One and PC, you can check out what we said here.
Many Destiny veterans were disappointed that they had to wait an extra week before the first appearance of Xur, but he's finally here. The mysterious merchant has shown up for the first time in Destiny 2, and there are some notable changes to the way he operates.
The most immediate change is in regards to Xur's location: He is no longer confined to social spaces. He'll actually show up on planets in Patrol zones, potentially in curious spots, as his debut showing on the branch of a giant tree demonstrates. The way in which you find him has also changed pretty significantly.
Bungie has apparently deemed the prospect of hunting for him across entire planets too daunting. Although he's not shown on the main Director screen, zooming in to view a specific planet now shows an icon for him on the map. You can even set a waypoint to guide you right to him, which will come as a disappointment for those who looked forward to the task of tracking Xur down.
As in the first game, Xur still sells Exotics (see what Xur is selling this week here). And as we previously learned, he does so in exchange for Legendary Shards, not Strange Coins. That will provide you with some extra reasons to consider how you want to spend Legendary Shards, which are obtained by dismantling Exotic and Legendary items, throughout the week.
Xur will return each Friday and stick around until Sunday. Today also marks the debut of another part of the game, as the Trials of the Nine multiplayer mode will come online for the first time. That is set to go live at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST.
Destiny 2 has been out for over a week now, and while many players have run through everything it has to offer so far--including the Raid--it's something that we'll be playing for months, if not years. It makes numerous improvements over its predecessor, and yet there are still a variety of areas where it could be even better.
We know Bungie is in this for the long haul, with multiple DLC expansions and other free updates on the way--Activision has even enlisted additional studios to help ensure new content arrives on a more routine basis than in Destiny 1. That's good news, because in addition to more content, there are other tweaks, adjustments, and refinements we want to see. In the gallery above, we run through 16 such items on our wishlist.
Destiny is out now on PS4 and Xbox One, with a PC version slated for release on October 24. You can read our thoughts on the game in our Destiny 2 review diary, with our full review coming soon. To get the most out of the game, check out our roundup of Destiny 2 guides, tips, and tricks.
Fix the Challenge Display
Challenges are a welcome change over the first Destiny's Bounty system. It's nice to have specific goals to complete in any given map or location every day without first having to manually pick up those tasks, but the way in which they are displayed could use some work.
For starters, I would love to see my Challenges in the Director without first loading into a map or mode. This is particularly important for Crucible ones, where I can't equip the right weapons or subclass to complete Challenges until I'm actually in my first match of the day. It would also be helpful in cases where you forget that you've already completed the Challenges in a specific place for the day, sparing you the trouble of loading in only to discover you've wasted the last minute of your time.
Just as importantly, please, Bungie, I'm begging you: allow Challenges to display without delay. Pulling out your Ghost can lead to an indefinite wait before Challenges show up, because they refuse to pop up if there's anything in the UI being displayed on the right side of the screen. If you're playing in a Fireteam, the notification showing the Glimmer you're earning from your teammates' kills can mean a maddening wait before you're allowed to check on your progress. -- Chris Pereira
Let Me Dismantle in the Vault
Inventory management is such a huge part of Destiny 2, but it's not like it's something we actually want to spend our time on. It's just a part of the game that's necessary to play. So it should, in theory, be as streamlined as possible. In Destiny 2, that's mostly the case, but there's one exception: I'd like to be able to dismantle gear while I'm looking in my vault. It's a small thing, but it's irksome having to exit the vault and re-enter the menu just to hold the button and dismantle. -- Mike Rougeau
Show Fireteam Members on the Map
If you spend any time playing with friends in a Patrol zone, you'll likely drift apart eventually. Maybe you need to track down a Servitor to kill, while your friend wants to seek out one of Cayde's chests, or one one of you takes part in a Scan or Survey quest that takes you far away.
Whatever the reason, actually meeting up again without fast traveling to the same point can be something of a hassle. Beyond your Fireteam members' names being shown on the screen, there's no easy way to see how far away you are from each other. This forces you to rely on vague descriptions by bringing up the map, which can be difficult if one player needs help and is under attack. Why not just allow players to see an icon on the map to save players the trouble of playing this obnoxious game? -- Chris Pereira
Tell Me Where My Shaders Came From
Some players have made a big deal out of Destiny 2's new shader system, which lets you apply shaders to individual guns, armor pieces, and even ships and sparrows. The issue is that shaders are now one-time-use items, so you have to keep finding more if you want to change your gear up now and then. My issue is having to turn to Google to find out where I can get more of that frabjous fuschia Dawn and Dusk (or whatever my favorite shader of the moment happens to be). Simply adding a word or two to each shader's description when you hover over it ("Nessus," "Eververse," "Crucible") would solve the problem. -- Mike Rougeau
Fix NPC Notifications
There are few things more satisfying than flying into a Destiny 2 social space and seeing a ton of notifications indicating that various characters want to talk to you. Thanks to this game's new rewarding economy, that usually means you're about to get a bunch of engrams or gear. There's only one hiccup, and it relates to Destiny 2's interface.
The problem is that the icon that indicates when a character wants your attention is the same one that pops up when you simply get near them, or when you take your ghost out. So if you're standing next to a vendor, there's no way to tell if they actually have something for you, or if you're simply positioned too near them. -- Mike Rougeau
Add A Photo Mode
Destiny 2 has a bigger, more beautiful, and fully realised world than the first game. I have stopped on numerous occasions to stand by and admire the scenery, including once during a Crucible match where doing so led to my swift and embarrassing death. I very much hope that Bungie introduces some kind of official photo mode for Destiny 2. I am playing on PS4, and the Share functionality is fine to quickly share images of fun things I saw or did, but it would be nice if Bungie added a more involved camera system that lets you select different angles and use filters, as well as a more easily accessible option to remove the HUD. -- Eddie Makuch
Add Optional Waypoints to the Mini-Map
As someone who finds himself staring at the mini-map constantly in games like Grand Theft Auto V, I'm actually glad that Destiny 2's is fairly limited. While I don't want it to become filled with every Patrol, resource, player, and other landmark that it could show, I would like slightly more information. Specifically, being able to set a waypoint on the map that shows up on the mini-map would be much appreciated. Bringing up the full map repeatedly as you inch your way toward a Cayde chest just isn't fun, and being able to mark a Fireteam member to more easily track them down would cut down on what can otherwise be a tedious process. Even something as simple as an indicator as to which direction is north would be a major improvement. -- Chris Pereira
Remember My Equipped Gun After Supers
Gunplay is crucial to Destiny 2, and choosing which of your three weapons to equip at any given second is one of the great thrills of playing. You always want to have the right tool for the job, whether it's a scout rifle for distant snipers or an SMG for those pesky Cabal.
As a player, my brain is constantly making these tiny calculations to decide which gun to hold in my hands, including when I pop my super. I case the room, check out where I'm going to land when I'm done going nuts, and ask myself what I want to have equipped when I do. That's why it's so irritating when Destiny 2 resets me to my primary gun after my super runs out, instead of leaving me in shotgun town. Hopefully it's an easy fix? -- Mike Rougeau
Fast Travel in the Social Space
Slight spoilers with post-game details below.
The second social space in Destiny is cavernous! You get to explore an industrial, well-detailed representation of the reclaimed city, but getting from one end to the other is an unnecessary hassle. Especially since most of what you need to do in the city post-game is just turn in quests and claim rewards. The space loses its luster after dozens of trips back and forth from Cayde-6 on one end of The Tower to Ikora Rey on the other. I'd appreciate either grouping everyone you need to talk to in one place, letting you fast travel between the three small areas, or putting all of the content in a single menu you can quickly sort through. -- Justin Haywald
Let Me Equip More Emotes
It's great that Destiny 2 so readily hands out new emotes to players through Bright Engrams without asking them to fork over real-world money. And some of the new ones are especially terrific. But why are we limited to only using one at a time? I want to be able to remap all of my emotes to ones I would actually use--I just don't care about being able to take a knee when the Down button could instead be another emote for mocking my friends. At the very least, allow dance emotes to be remapped to the default dance button. People should be able to express themselves through the magic of dance however they wish. -- Chris Pereira
Provide More Vault Space (Yes, Already)
Any original Destiny vets know the familiar struggle of having too much gear and not enough space in which to store it, even as Bungie kept increasing our vault space over and over again. It may feel OK in Destiny 2 now, but with only 200 spots for all the weapons and armor across as many as three separate characters, I'm already dreading the day I once again run out of space. Why not nip this one in the bud, Bungie? -- Mike Rougeau
Tell Me How the Power Level of My Drops Is Calculated
Many Destiny 2 players are hitting a wall once they reach around 265 power level, which is normal for Destiny--there always comes a time when leveling up and increasing your power becomes more difficult. The problem is that drops in Destiny 2 don't appear to make much sense.
Part of that may be down to the way Legendary mods that add +5 to your gear's power level are artificially inflating your overall power number. So well I appear to be at 279 thanks to all my mods, the loot I get from most sources drops at just 269. Is that because of my mods, though? Or does loot from some sources simply drop 10 levels below your current one (which kind of sucks)? Is Destiny 2's loot system really working as intended, or is there something here that needs fixing? If nothing else, Bungie could at least explain what's going on. -- Mike Rougeau
Add a Firing Range to the Social Space
Destiny 2 offers an even wider array of weapons than the first game, but there's still no easy way to test them out. If the inhabitants of The Farm could be bothered to set up a soccer field, they should find the time to set up a firing range where you can try out each of your weapons. Sure, you could jump into a Patrol zone and rely on the mobile app to move items from your Vault, but there's always the chance that you could be attacked or that another player comes along and kills the enemies you're targeting. Having a spot in the social space where you can cycle through weapons in your Vault on consistent targets would make it a lot less painful to keep your weapon stockpile a manageable size. -- Chris Pereira
Fix Infusion and +5 Mods
Infusion is a crucial aspect of leveling up in Destiny 2 while continuing to use your favorite gear, as it lets you feed higher-powered stuff into your lowered-powered armor and weapons to bring the latter up to the former's level. But there's one new system in Destiny 2 that has caused a lot of confusion because of how it affects infusion: mods.
Legendary weapon and armor mods can add +5 to your gear's power level, which is great for getting an extra boost in combat. But that number isn't taken into account for infusion. For example, if you infuse a 250 gun with a 265 that has a +5 mod on it, the gun will only go up to 260, because that's the actual power level without the mod factored in. To solve this Bungie needs to show the gear's actual power level, not its mod-increased level, in the infusion menu. -- Mike Rougeau
Swap Clan and Roster Locations
With the current menu layout, your Roster (letting you see friends online) and your Clan screen are in two separate locations: one is on the same set of screens as your inventory, while the other is next to the Director. I constantly find myself either opening the wrong screen (old Destiny 1 habits die hard) or being forced to close the one I'm currently in to jump over to the other to check on my friends' status. Ideally, the Roster would also be accessible from the main options screen, or the Roster and Clan screens would simply be switched. It's a small complaint, but one that would go a long way in making things smoother for players. -- Chris Pereira
Center the Map on Me
I'm thrilled that Destiny 2 actually has functional maps for its various exotic locales, but I'd love it even more if the map would actually center on me instead of defaulting to the middle when I open it. It's a small gripe, but I'm reminded of it every time I waste a second or two hunting for my icon while taking fire from pesky Psions or Hobgoblins. -- Mike Rougeau
We're giving away three (3) PES 2018: Pro Evolution Soccer - Legendary Editions (PS4) and Fidget Spinners by Konami! Scroll down below to enter.
Competition ends Friday, September 15th at 5:00 PM PT. Three (3) winners will be contacted via email. Entry is open to United States residents only, void where prohibited.
By Anonymous on Sep 15, 2017 11:06 pm We check out the stand alone experience Dishonored Death of the Outsider which features Billie Lurk who needs to find a way to end the source of chaos within the Empire.
NBA 2K18 launches digitally today for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (with its physical release for the latter two platforms arriving on September 19). However, those who plan on picking the basketball game up on Nintendo's console better have a microSD card handy.
As pointed out on NeoGAF by users Pokemaniac and ggx2ac, NBA 2K18 requires a hefty 22.9 GB of space to download on Switch. What's more, each save file for the game takes up 5 GB--a larger file size than many full Switch titles, such as Pokken Tournament DX, which only requires 3.2 GB to download. That's problematic considering that the console only comes with 32 GB of internal memory, roughly 25 of which are actually usable.
Even if you plan to hold off and buy the physical version when it releases on October 17, you'll still need to have a microSD card, according to Nintendo's support website. While the game itself is 6.8 GB large, its software update takes up 16.1 GB, which accounts for the digital version's massive size and why you'll need a microSD card regardless of which you pick up.
Microsoft is designing a new system for mastering games that will mean faster downloads and less hard drive space used for its Xbox One and Xbox One X games. According to Digital Foundry, the internal name for the system is Intelligent Delivery, and it will split game content into tagged chunks. Players will be able to download only the chunks they need or want to play the game, rather than downloading the complete game with all content.
For example, Xbox One users won't have to download 4K assets meant specifically for the Xbox One X when they buy their game, saving loads of wasted space on your Xbox One hard drive. Another example, reportedly given by Microsoft, is games with multi-language support. Players won't have to download audio assets in languages they don't want, saving even more space. Digital Foundry reports this represents a significant amount of data, particularly in sports games.
Dividing content into chunks and tagging it will apply to gameplay-specific content too; players can delete game modes they're not using, for example. Microsoft is recommending the Intelligent Delivery system only be used for new games, but the technology can technically be applied to existing games. It's not clear how widely publishers will adopt it, however, as there's no indication using the system will be mandatory.
The new system also reopens the door for games with multiple discs, with essential data on disc one and additional or optional data on subsequent discs (right now, Microsoft is offering the option for two disc mastering, but the technology allows for up to 15 discs of content).
There's no mention of when Intelligent Delivery will be rolled out, but with the launch of the Xbox One X just a couple of months away (on November 7), it could be coming soon. Microsoft says the Xbox One X is the most pre-ordered console in Xbox history, and you can click here to check out all the enhanced games coming to the console.
The influence of the 1982 classic Blade Runner can be felt across three decades of sci-fi, and it's hard to think of a dystopian, urban sci-fi movie that hasn't been impacted by it in some way. With the long-awaited sequel Blade Runner 2049set to hit theaters next month, it has been revealed that Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe is making a new anime short set within the Blade Runner universe.
As reported by Kotaku, Watanabe's film is called Blade Runner Black Out 2022. As the title suggests, it is set three years after the original movie, during a massive power outage in futuristic Los Angeles. A teaser for the project has been released, in which Watanabe states: "The work that has influenced me the most in my anime profession would be, of course, Blade Runner." Check it out below:
Blade Runner Black Out 2022 is set to hit Sony Picture Japan's YouTube channel on September 26. It has also been revealed that it will have a score by noted electronic musician Flying Lotus (real name Stephen Ellison). Ellison tweeted: "Doing something with Watanabe was a dream of mine. Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest! Seeing Blade Runner imagery set to my music was a beautiful feeling."
Players will be able to choose which chunks of data to download, avoiding content and other languages they don't need.
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See the opening chapter of the dancer Primrose's story in action.
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