Rockstar has announced the latest batch content and bonuses for Grand Theft Auto V. This week, GTA Online players can add a brand-new plane to their fleet and find discounts on a range of aerial vehicles and items.
Starting today, players can purchase the Buckingham Howard NX-25, a sleek new aircraft that "combines all the classic beauty of the golden age of aviation with utterly blistering performance." The plane is available to purchase from Elitas Travel. You can see a screenshot of it below.
Rockstar has also extended bonuses for Bombushka Run, the new team-based mode that pits two squads of up to four players against each other: one side piloting the heavily armed RM-10 Bombushka plane, the other trying to bring it down with Buzzard Attack Helicopters. Players now have until October 2 to earn double GTA$ and RP rewards from the mode. You can also get double rewards from all Bunker-based Adversary Modes, and Biker Business Production and Bunker Research & Manufacturing will run 25% faster than normal until October 2.
As mentioned above, GTA Online players can also find discounts on a number of aircraft and related items this week. These include:
LSIA Hangar 1 -- 15% off
Fort Zancudo Hangar A2 -- 25% off
Hangar Floor Graphics & Lighting -- 25% off
Savage (Helicopter) -- 35% off (Buy it Now and Trade Price)
Buckingham Swift (Helicopter) -- 35% off (both livery models)
Buckingham Swift Deluxe (Helicopter) -- 40% off
Parachutes (including Bags & Smoke Trails) -- 25% off
Players can also pick up a couple of land vehicles at a discount this week. The Annis RE-7B, Western Nightblade, and Principe Lectro are all available for 25% off for a limited time.
Finally, this week's Premium Race is Wall Climb, which is locked to Super-class vehicles. All those who participate in the race will earn triple RP, but the top three finishers will be awarded with a substantial GTA$ payout. The Time Trial this week is Vinewood Bowl. Players who can beat the target time will receive a handsome GTA$ and RP reward.
Jackie Chan's next movie, The Foreigner, is coming to theaters in October. Today, we can bring you an exclusive new clip from the action film that also stars Pierce Brosnan. The clip, titled "Ambush," sees Chan's character fighting off bad dudes who are chasing him through a home. It's more of classic Jackie Chan hand-to-hand combat--and it's great.
Based on the novel Stephen Leather novel The Chinaman, The Foreigner follows a London businessman Quan (Chan) who is out for revenge after his daughter is killed in an act of terrorism. Brosnan, of James Bond fame, plays a British government agent at the center of the bombing.
If you want a wider view of what to expect from The Foreigner, you can check out the most recent full-length trailer here. You guessed it--Chan kicks ass in that trailer too, beating down bad guys with his fists and machine guns alike.
The Foreigner was directed by GoldenEye and Casino Royale director Martin Campbell. The action connections don't end there, as the screenplay was written by Live Free Or Die Hard's David Marconi. It opens in theaters on October 13.
PlayStation 4 owners have some new gaming options to choose from. A number of noteworthy new titles are now available for the console, with a few more still slated to arrive later this week.
Launching today is Fallout 4's new Game of the Year edition. This edition bundles the base game and all of the DLC expansions released for it together in one package, making it the ideal place to jump into Fallout 4 if you've yet to pick up Bethesda's acclaimed RPG. Those in North America also have a chance to snag one of the hard-to-find Pip-Boy Edition, which will be available again in limited quantities. The Fallout 4 Game of the Year edition retails for $60/£40, while the Pip-Boy edition can be yours for $100.
Other notable releases out now include the dark and quirky visual novel Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, the brutal top-down action game Ruiner, and the critically acclaimed Metroidvania-style adventure SteamWorld Dig 2, the latter of which supports Cross-Buy with Vita. They'll be followed by a few other high-profile releases later this week, including the multiplayer Gundam arena fighter, Gundam Versus, and this year's new FIFA game, FIFA 18. Both of those titles launch on September 29, but some players can begin playing FIFA 18 early. You can find the full list of this week's new PS4 releases below.
Much like the NES Classic console from last year, the SNES Classic is a bit of a hot commodity. With an assortment of retro games from the SNES library, there are many games getting a second chance in the spotlight, along with others that have stood the test of time and still hold up as some of Nintendo's finest games.
We at GameSpot are here to give you everything you need to know about Nintendo's throwback console; such as good places to keep an eye out for ordering your console, what games are available on the system, and what sort additions have been added to make the experience of replaying these games feel a bit more unique. Be sure to check back with us for more info about our hands-on time with the console, along with our official review coming soon.
When Is The Release Date For The SNES Classic?
Set for release on September 29 for $80 USD/60 GBP/7,980 Yen, the SNES Classic will be available in most markets. Much like the NES Classic, Japan will have a Famicom version known as the Super Famicom Classic the following week on Oct 5, along with some games unique to their market such as Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyūshutsu Emaki (Legend of the Mystical Ninja). Though the Western release of the Classic console will be missing some titles from its Eastern counterpart, there's still plenty of great games to enjoy.
How Can I Find An SNES Classic?
Learning from the extreme shortages of the NES Classic, Nintendo has increased the amount of units in distribution, and will also be producing them in larger quantities. Moreover, Nintendo has urged fans not to purchase SNES Classic consoles sold at significantly higher rate, as there will be more available for buyers compared to the NES Classic. Much like the pre-ordering phase, it would be best to keep watch of established stores such as Amazon, Target, GameStop, Walmart, and Best Buy for available units as they come. Be sure to check back with GameSpot for updates on availability of units.
Aside from Earthbound, Super Mario RPG, and Super Metroid, there's one game that's been getting a lot of attention, and that's Star Fox 2. Unlocked after completing the first stage in the original Star Fox, Star Fox 2 introduced a number of interesting gameplay innovations, new characters, and brand new vehicles to control. However, for a variety of reasons, it was shelved around the time of its completion. Though unofficial copies have made the rounds over the years, this marks the first time that Nintendo will be releasing the game in an official capacity. To mark this occasion, GameSpot will be publishing a review for the newly released Star Fox 2, which will be our first SNES review in two decades.
What Is The Setup And User-Interface Like?
While the original Super Nintendo was designed for standard definition TVs, the SNES Classic features an updated setup including HDMI cables, and a home menu where you can access all the games. Much like the NES Classic, the Super Nintendo mini-console will give players access to all the games from the menu, where they can jump around between each game. Each game allows for four different save slots, allowing you to save your game on the internal system. Though unlike the NES Classic, the SNES will be a bit more comfortable to play this time around, featuring longer control cables at around 5 feet. Moreover, the UI will also feature a number of tweaks and customization options for players, such as a set of custom borders you can apply to the 4:3 games, CRT filters, and also a rewind option--allowing you to as rollback a bad move in a game and try again.
Keep checking back with GameSpot during the lead up and after the release of the SNES Classic for more information as it comes. Check out some of coverage with our hands-on time below, along with updates from Nintendo, and along with our full-review.
Almost two years after release, a Game of the Year edition of the acclaimed Fallout 4 is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Today also marks an opportunity to get your hands on the hard-to-find Pip-Boy Edition, provided you live in North America.
As we noted when the package was first announced last month, it's surprising that it took this long for a Game of the Year-style edition of the game to be released. There certainly wasn't a lack of critical acclaim or DLC to bundle with the game, and indeed, all of that post-release content is included here.
Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition is priced at $60/£40/AU$100. Those in North America who are willing to spend a bit more can get their hands on a new run of the Pip-Boy Edition, which comes with a physical wrist mount that you can slot your phone into to simulate the in-game Pip-Boy experience. This version is priced at $100 and comes with the Game of the Year Edition, but only a "limited number" will be available.
Good news for (some) football fans everywhere: FIFA 18 is out for pre-order customers today. Although the game doesn't officially launch until Friday, September 29, anyone who pre-ordered the Ronaldo Edition or Icon Edition gets three days' early access, meaning the game should now be playable.
If you didn't pre-order either of the Ronaldo or Icon Editions, they are available to purchase now on the PlayStation Store or on Xbox Live. The Ronaldo Edition costs US $80 / £80 / AU $120, while the Icon Edition will set you back US $100 / £90 / AU $130. For reference, that's a little more expensive than the standard version, which is currently US $60 / £60 / AU $100.
In our FIFA 18 review, we awarded the game a 7/10. "It's off the pitch that EA excels," we said. "From the variety of game modes on offer and how everything's presented, to the constant updates in FUT's Team of the Week, Daily Objectives, and discussion of real-world happenings in commentary, FIFA 18 captures the world of football and confidently translates it into a video game. On the pitch, however, EA's soccer series is still lagging far behind PES 2018's more fluid, satisfying football. This year's improvements are welcome, but more needs to be done in the coming years if FIFA is to be a world-beater once again."
Ahead of its upcoming release, EA has shared a new trailer for Star Wars Battlefront II. This one provides an overview of the entire game, highlighting all of its maps and game modes.
In terms of multiplayer modes, there are the two that have gotten the most attention--the 40-player Galactic Assault, which features hero units and vehicles, and the 24-player Starfighter Assault, which consists of large-scale space battles--as well as Strike, Blast, and Heroes vs. Villains. We also get a brief look at Arcade, the offline mode that can be played solo or in split-screen with a second player locally. All of the launch maps for Galactic Assault were recently unveiled.
Pokemon Go players only have a few more days to catch Entei, Raikou, or Suicune. The three Legendary dogs from Pokemon Gold and Silver will only be available in their current region through September 29, after which they'll move on to a different part of the world.
Unlike the previous Legendary Pokemon that have appeared in Pokemon Go, only one of the three Legendary dogs is available in a specific region at a time. Currently, the Electric-type Raikou can be found in the Americas; the Fire-type Entei is available in Europe and Africa; and players in the Asia-Pacific region can encounter the Water-type Suicune. On September 30, the Pokemon will rotate to a different region, where they'll be available until October 31.
As in the past, you can encounter the Legendary dogs in special Raid battles at Gyms. You'll need to defeat the powerful Pokemon first to get an opportunity to capture them. You can check out our guide on how to catch Legendary Pokemon for more details on how to take part in Raids.
Players also still have a few more days to take advantage of Pokemon Go's in-game Equinox event. Until October 2, you can earn double Stardust for catching Pokemon and hatching eggs. You'll also net triple the normal amount of XP by registering a new Pokemon in your Pokedex, and PokeStops and Gyms will dole out special 2 km eggs that may hatch into Chansey, Mareep, Larvitar, and other rare Pokemon. However, some players have reported issues with Pokemon Go's servers today, which developer Niantic says it is currently investigating.
Destiny 2's Faction Rallies are now live, bringing with them exclusive rewards packages including weapons, armor, and shaders. We can also see the in-game location of Destiny 2's Faction Rally leaders Arach Jalaal (who represents Dead Orbit), Lakshmi-2 (Future War Cult), and Executor Hideo (New Monarchy).
Those three characters are now available to talk to in Destiny 2's Tower. Arach Jalaal and Lakshmi-2 are situated in the Hangar, while Executor Hideo is currently in the Bazaar. We had some trouble finding them at our first attempt, but if you quit to orbit and reload the location, then the trio should appear.
Faction Rallies see you pledge your allegiance to one of three factions. You can then fight for your faction by simply playing the game. In the process you'll earn Rewards Tokens, which you can trade for exclusive weapons and emblems, among other items. An in-game description reads: "To earn tokens for Level 20 rewards, destroy supplies in Lost Sectors and do Public Events, Crucible matches, Strikes, and the Leviathan Raid."
Each faction has a "powerful weapon" that is specific to it--Dead Orbit has a scout rifle, Future War Cult a pulse rifle, and New Monarchy a sidearm. At the end of the event, the faction that collected the most packages is named the winner, and its weapon will be sold to all players for 50,000 glimmer. Members of the winning faction will be able to purchase it for only 1,000 glimmer. The winner will be named at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST on October 3 (3 AM AEST on October 4 in Australia).
Injustice 2 has received its latest update, introducing a variety of bug fixes and balance changes. But this patch, dubbed the October Update despite its September release date, is most notable for getting the game ready for the next DLC character, Raiden.
This patch, update 1.09, is filled with bug fixes, but there are some design changes, too. Legendary items have seen their base stats increased, and more characters now have Legendary Multiverse Portals: Black Adam, Brainiac, Catwoman, Deadshot, Flash, Scarecrow, and Supergirl. Legendary Multiverse Events also see a dramatic decrease to the number of minutes you're required to play; they drop from 3,000 and 7,000 to 1,000 and 3,000.
In terms of balance changes, two of Superman's moves lose their throw immunity during their recovery frames; these include his "Away + Light" and "Towards + Medium, Down + Light." Similarly, his Super Breath is no longer throw immune when meter burned.
Update 1.09 also technically adds Raiden and the Black Lightning premiere skin to the game, though they aren't scheduled for release until October. A specific release date has not been announced. You can see the full patch notes below.
Injustice 2 Update 1.09 Patch Notes
General Gameplay fixes
General stability and Online stability improvements
Move list corrections and improvements to AI logic
Increased the Base Stats on Legendary items
Legendary Multiverse Portals are now available for Black Adam, Brainiac, Catwoman, Deadshot, Flash, Scarecrow, and Supergirl
Reduced the 'minutes played with' requirements in Legendary Multiverse Events from 3000 & 7000 to 1000 & 3000 respectively
The 'sacrifice gear' requirements in Legendary Multiverse Events now uses Rare or Epic items
Fixes and Tweaks to some Character Tutorials
When you are hit during the recovery frames of a move or an attack the gameplay message will display 'Punish' instead of 'Counter' where applicable
Added dynamic shadows to some character items which were missing them
Adjusted the hit region of bomb type Environment Interactions
Fixed rare bug that could some attacks to have abnormal recovery when hitting Flash while he has Speed Zone character power active with specific timing
Stage Specific Fixes
Arkham Asylum - Fixed a bug which allowed the bus door interaction to sometimes be swung towards in the wrong direction
Atlantis - Fix a rare bug when using the console slam interaction which could result in the opponent being out of the environment boundaries
Metropolis - Fixed a bug that could allow movement outside of the environment boundaries after using electronic sign interaction under certain circumstances
Red Sun Prison - Fixed an issue with gadget and power characters being able to use a console interaction at the same time causing a misaligned hit region
Red Sun Prison - The cooldown on laser interaction will no longer sometimes immediately reset when interrupted
Red Sun Prison - Fixed a visual bug causing the laser interaction's effects to become misaligned when repeatedly interrupted
Red Sun Prison - Superman will now still be in the background prison if Bizarro Premier skin is used
Character Specific Fixes
Aquaman
Fixed a bug that could cause his trident to briefly appear in the wrong hand after missing with a some Environment Interactions
Bane
Legendary Straight Damage Augment now causes damage that scales based on total health. The amount is now 5% for Venom level 1, 12% for Venom level 2, and 25% for Venom level 3
Black Manta
Fixes to Character Tutorial
Fixed a bug which was causing the stat scaling on a few Rare quality items to roll higher than intended
Blue Beetle
Fixed a bug allowing Legendary Character Power meter to sometimes keep recharging when not intended
Captain Cold
Fixed a rare bug that allowed characters dying from Frozen Tips damage under certain circumstances to leave arena boundaries
Darkseid
Fixed a bug that could cause Explosive Parademon to spawn in the foreground in rare circumstances
Doctor Fate
Fixed visual effects following Dr. Fate if he is punished by a cross-up after missing with his Supermove
Deadshot
Fix a bug which could result in a lingering empty clip from his end of round win animation
Firestorm
Fixed an issue with the hit region on Heat Wave (Away + Hard) against some crouching characters
Red Hood
Fixed a bug which was causing the stat scaling on a few Rare quality items to roll higher than intended
Supergirl
Fixed a bug causing cancelling into Air Lasers and buffering down or back to cost double Character Power meter when input with a specific timing
Superman
(Away + Light) and (Towards + Medium, Down + Light) are no longer throw immune for part of their recovery frames
Super Breath no longer becomes throw immune when MeterBurned
Intro Cinematics will now play correctly when the full "House El" Epic Gear Set was worn along with the Bizarro Premier Skin
Starfire
Fixed a bug which was causing the stat scaling on a few Rare quality items to roll higher than intended
Sub-Zero
Fixed a bug which was causing the stat scaling on a few Rare quality items to roll higher than intended
Swamp Thing
Fix to some lingering visual effects when (Away + Hard) and Bio-Fission MeterBurn are interrupted
Abigail's Garden visual effects will now work correctly against Starfire
Fixed bug causing Harley Quinn to face the wrong way when losing a round to Abigail's Garden damage while performing Tantrum Stance
Although the big-screen adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel It has become one of the most successful movies of the year, 2017's other high profile King adaptation--The Dark Tower--did not fair so well. The movie was met by largely negative reviews and an underwhelming box office, putting into doubt plans to make further movies and a TV spinoff. Now King himself has weighed in on the film's failure.
In an interview with Vulture, King explained that much of the problem was the challenge of distilling his epic ten-part series of novels into one movie. "The major challenge was to do a film based on a series of books that's really long, about 3,000 pages," he said. "The other part of it was the decision to do a PG-13 feature adaptation of books that are extremely violent and deal with violent behaviour in a fairly graphic way."
Nevertheless, the writer is happy with the end result, stating: "I've gotta say, I thought [screenwriter] Akiva Goldsman did a terrific job in taking a central part of the book and turning it into what I thought was a pretty good movie."
As for the TV version of the The Dark Tower that is currently in development, King revealed that if it happens, it would in fact be a "complete reboot" of the fantasy property, rather than a continuation of the story started in the movie.
EA's FIFA 18 is still a week away from release, but critics have already begun offering their thoughts on the new soccer game. FIFA 18 doesn't differ radically from last year's installment, but EA has made some notable tweaks to the gameplay that make the game an improvement over its predecessor. In GameSpot's FIFA 18 review, critic Oscar Dayus said the game's "on-pitch improvements represent the beginnings of a recovery for the series," though it is "still lagging far behind PES 2018's more fluid, satisfying football."
Other reviews and impressions have begun appearing online as well, and most seem to agree that FIFA 18 is yet another worthwhile entry in the long-running sports franchise. You can find a sample of reviews and reviews-in-progress below; for a wider look at what critics think of the game, be sure to check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
"It's off the pitch that EA excels. From the variety of game modes on offer and how everything's presented, to the constant updates in FUT's Team of the Week, Daily Objectives, and discussion of real-world happenings in commentary, FIFA 18 captures the world of football and confidently translates it into a video game. On the pitch, however, EA's soccer series is still lagging far behind PES 2018's more fluid, satisfying football. This year's improvements are welcome, but more needs to be done in the coming years if FIFA is to be a world-beater once again." -- Oscar Dayus [Full review]
IGN -- Review-in-Progress
"Ultimately, FIFA 18 introduces enough new ideas to suggest it's not sitting on the laurels of its success. However, it's a simplified experience, one that fails to embrace the complexity of football at the highest level. Its focus on attack makes for spectacular matches, but they often feel like extravagant offensive training sessions than a proper match with depth and strategy." -- John Robertson [Full review-in-progress]
US Gamer -- 4/5
"This series hasn't changed much over the years, and it's certainly not as dynamic and ambitious as it was back in the days of the Xbox 360. But the foundation EA built back in 2010 has held up remarkably well over the years. And with FIFA 18, it goes back to its strengths a little bit after a year that frankly wasn't that much fun to play." -- Kat Bailey [Full review]
GamesRadar+ -- 4.5/5
"Even if you only focus your attentions on The Journey 2 and twice-daily Squad Challenge matches in Ultimate Team (which, by the way, gets a genuinely intuitive web app this year that makes Squad Building Challenges even more addictive), FIFA 18 offers remarkable value. PES fans will steadfastly refuse to let it darken their doors, but that's been the case since the PS2 years. Ultimately, it's a monster season for both big football games. One where, unlike in Manchester, Glasgow or North London, everybody wins." -- Ben Wilson [Full review]
The Telegraph -- Review-in-Progress
"FIFA 18 is a significantly better football game than its predecessor. I was rather fond of FIFA 17, but despite the engine overhaul it was still beholden to some of FIFA's more long-standing issues. Animations taking too long to unfold and delaying your move; wrestling to control unresponsive players; a lack of individuality from player to player. FIFA 18 has addressed these issues quietly but confidently, like a successful team signing a full-back under the radar because the previous one kept picking up daft bookings." -- [Full review-in-progress]
Digital Trends -- 4/5
"FIFA 18 relies a little too much on back-patting and the illusion of choice during its story mode, but it's still remarkable how well Electronic Arts managed to tell the tale of Alex Hunter and his family. The soccer on the field more than backs up the writing, with rewarding gameplay that can entertain even those who normally hate the sport. Just make sure that you carve out plenty of time and say farewell to your family members for the foreseeable future, because you're going to need all the extra time you can get." -- Gabe Gurwin [Full review]
This post is being updated as more outlets finalize their review scores.
In Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, recurring hero B.J. Blazkowicz is older, probably wiser, and definitely has new tricks up his sleeves. In a recent playthrough of a chapter set in New Orleans, we learned that B.J. will have access to a number of mobility enhancements called contraptions. A constrictor grants him access to tight spaces like air vents, stilts gives him vertical mobility plus a better view of the immediate lay of the land, and a ramming attack allows him to break through the game's less structurally sound walls. The gameplay clip above not only shows these contraptions in action but also what you can pull off once you've tamed the menacing panzerhunds! Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus comes out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 27, 2017 as well as Nintendo Switch on in 2018.
Players looking to catch some Pokemon today may encounter issues doing so. Pokemon Go servers are currently experiencing issues, though developer Niantic says it's working to resolve the situation.
Reports have been coming in from players who are unable to get online in the game today around the world. Niantic subsequently confirmed this, stating in a tweet, "We're investigating an issue which is preventing Trainers from logging in. Thank you for your patience as we look into this issue."
Some players have more recently stated that they can get online, although it appears others still cannot (or are unable to maintain a consistent connection). Niantic didn't provide a timeline for how quickly this may be resolved, but we'll report back as soon as it provides any additional information.
After a year off, Need for Speed returns in November with Need for Speed Payback. Like previous games in the series, it features an open world with a day/night cycle, as featured in a newly released trailer. We spoke recently with developer Ghost Games' creative director, Will Ho, about designing an effective open-world environment, inspirations on the game, and police chases.
Open worlds can be great when they're done well, but they can also go awry--a dead, lifeless world with few things to do can be a real bummer. Payback is far from the first Need for Speed to feature a wide-open space to explore, but part of the reason that one is in place here is to keep players in their cars, not the menus.
"I firmly believe that people who love their cars want to be in their cars all the time," Ho tells GameSpot. "It's the real-world fantasy of exploring aimlessly, finding other car lovers, discovering beautiful places, taking snapshots, sharing stories. To paraphrase cliché, the journey is as interesting as the destination. That journey with your choices and your discoveries is your story."
Races will restrict you to racing from checkpoint to checkpoint "for easy navigation and fair competition," Ho says. You're given some level of flexibility in choosing your path from point to point--what Ho refers to as "color[ing] outside the lines"--but you won't be cutting across vast swaths of land as you can in, for example, certain Forza Horizon 3 events.
Payback's "vast" open world, Fortune Valley, is comprised of events, activities, and collectibles to take part in, which Ho refers to as points of interest. He says there are more than 400 in all currently, which will help the world to feel like a real, dense location. Ho even suggested that could expand following the game's released. "We have ideas for adding even more, should our fans want them," Ho teases.
The day/night cycle, which was absent from the perpetual nighttime races of the previous game, should also serve to enhance the world--and in ways that are not just cosmetic. "I believed firmly early on in the project that we add a full 24-hour time of day cycle," Ho says. "It's true that the world looks varied and beautiful anywhere you drive. But it's also a big factor in how you approach many of our open world activities. Exploring Fortune Valley while collecting parts for your derelict build is best done in the hot sun; beating your friend's high score in a drift zone is probably best left for low traffic in the dead of night."
In light of the multi-character focus of the story, which appears to be going for a more cinematic-style heist narrative, Payback has been frequently compared to the Fast and Furious series. Ho wouldn't say if that specifically served as a source of inspiration, but he does say both "recent and classic car movies" have inspired Payback. He also thinks it doesn't hurt that "people these days are into movies with car chases."
Despite the similarities in terms of having an open world and centering around heists, Ho is quicker to shut down comparisons to something like Grand Theft Auto. "As soon as you take racing off closed circuits and put them on open-world streets, you easily draw comparison with other open-world games," he says. "But we're focused squarely on car culture and not on anything that takes you away from your favorite rides that you've bought, customized, and built. And you get the freedom of living in a giant open world. It's a nice space to be in, to challenge the assumptions of what a racing game should feel like. I think Need for Speed Underground 2 was the first to break the racing game mold. We're really just building on that legacy."
Another legacy element of Payback that surfaces here are police chases, which were a hallmark of many past Need for Speed games. Ho highlights how Payback's pursuits aren't just about the getaway, but the added pressure they put on players.
"I like how our cop chases in Need for Speed Payback are much more about high speed and time pressure," he says. "When you see a movie car chase, it isn't just about getting busted or getting away, because the heroes almost always get away. Rather, it's about getting the job done on time. Cops will still happily bust you if you stand still. But cop chases are now more about linking heroic cop evasion moments to get to a destination before time runs out. I think it's more exciting this way."
Payback won't allow players to assume the role of police officers, though Ho again seems open to what future updates (or games) could bring. "We're really focused on our three new characters trying to stay clear of the law. But we love to hear what fans want in future updates and titles," he says. "Who knows?"
Unfortunately, Ho wasn't ready to reveal any details about what Xbox One X and PS4 Pro owners can look forward to in terms of enhancements, but EA plans to share those details soon. And that's just as well, as Payback is due out in a matter of weeks, with a release date of November 10 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The sequel to the horror smash It has a confirmed release date. It has been announced that the follow-up to the Stephen King hit will arrive in theaters on September 6, 2019. This is almost exactly two years after the first movie was released.
It was always planned as a two part adaptation of King's 1987 novel. The first movie focuses upon a group of kids in the 1980s as they deal the shapeshifting creature of the title, while the second film will return to the characters, as adults, 30 years later. Although there have been no casting announcements so far, we know director Andy Muschietti will return to helm the sequel.
In a recent interview with GameSpot, producer Seth Grahame-Smith explained that work had already begun on the script for the It sequel. "We are locked and loaded and ready to jump in the minute they say 'go,'" he said. "The script is not done, but the script is being worked on. Obviously we, all the filmmakers, are just champing at the bit to get started, and we have a very exciting shape, and [It co-writer Gary Dauberman] is working away."
It is now the most successful horror movie of all time, both domestically and worldwide. To date the film has made $478 million internationally, beating the previous record holder, 1973's The Exorcist. However, it should be noted that this is an unadjusted gross, and obviously The Exorcist's $441 million take would far exceed It's total if adjusted for inflation.
Around 11 months after it began in October 2016, it looks like the video game voice actor strike is finally coming to an end. SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents video game voice actors, announced today that it's reached a "tentative agreement" to end the strike against 11 video game companies, including juggernauts like Activision, Electronic Arts, and Warner Bros. The strike was the longest in SAG history.
The deal was reached on Saturday morning, SAG-AFTRA said. The terms include the following:
A new bonus structure that "provides an addition payment to performers."
This payment, which must be delivered no later than a game's release date, is calculated by the number of recording sessions an actor worked on a title.
It starts with a $75 payment for the first session and runs up to $2,100 after 10 sessions.
The union also sought a back-end payment program that sought to give performers an additional "full-scale payment" for every 500,000 units sold, for a maximum of four secondary payments if a game sells 2 million copies. But that isn't happening, it seems.
Under the previous deal, video game voice actors represented by SAG-AFTRA are paid at least $100/hour, plus benefits.
"This is an important advance in this critical industry space. We secured a number of gains including for the first time, a secondary payment structure which was one of the members' key concerns," SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris said in a statement. "The courage of our members and their fortitude these many months has been admirable and I salute them. We are always stronger together."
SAG-AFTRA's Keythe Farley said the the new structure provides voice actors with "significantly larger" bonus payments than under the terms of the previous agreement.
Keythe Farley, chair of the SAG-AFTRA Interactive Negotiating Committee, said the strike delivered key victories for member performers in the video game community.
Ray Rodriguez, the lead negotiator for this deal, said in a statement that another win is that it improves transparency, which in turn should help union members bargain. Under the terms of the new agreement, companies are required to disclose more details about a game a performing is recording lines for such as its genre, the codename, and whether or not it's based on a existing franchise. Members will also be told--prior to signing on to a project--if they will be required to use "unusual terminology, profanity or racial slurs, whether there will be content of a sexual or violent nature and whether stunts will be required."
SAG-AFTRA's new deal also includes language that says publishers agree to work with the union "on the issue of vocal stress."
Video game companies reportedly sought to fine performers for being late or distracted in a recording session. Another proposal put forth by publishers was apparently one that would have required agents to "submit performers for low-paying 'atmospheric voice' sessions or face fines, and a possible revocation of their union franchise." Another provision apparently put forth by video game companies would have allowed them to use internal staff to do voice acting work outside the purview of the SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement.
The new SAG-AFTRA deal will be reviewed and potentially confirmed by the group at a board meeting in October. We'll report back with more details as they become available.
SAG-AFTRA's strike was against 11 video game companies, including juggernauts like Activision, Warner Bros., Electronic Arts, as well as Insomniac. According to the union, the gaming industry refused to offer residual payment bonuses and other profit-sharing opportunities. The union also claimed that the industry denied a provision that would reduce the recording time for "vocally stressful" sessions to two hours to help prevent an actor from damaging their voice. Under the terms of the new deal, all the union said was that the publishers agreed to work with the union on this issue.
According to Deadline, only about 25 percent of video games use union voice actors. This was the first strike in the history of video game performers.
The chief negotiator for the video game companies, Scott Witlin, said in a statement that his group "worked hard to reach this deal and end the strike." The statement also confirms that the new contract will be in place for three years, starting when it's ratified; that should happen in the coming weeks.
"The new contract provides a substantial pay increase for performers through both increases in session fees and additional compensation tied to a performer's contribution to the video game," reads a line from the video game companies' statement. "In addition, the Video Game Companies agreed to additional transparency in bookings and to continue to cooperate with SAG-AFTRA in the area of safety, including vocal stress."
Overwatch voice actor Crispin Freeman, who voices Winston, spoke to GameSpot about the strike and why voice actors matter. "We negotiated with them for 19 months in good faith," Freeman said. "It's the longest negotiation SAG-AFTRA has ever done. It was the last thing we wanted to do, but they left us with no choice."
Halo 3 launched on September 25, 2007, meaning the Bungie-developed shooter has now celebrated its 10th anniversary. That probably makes you feel old.
To celebrate the occasion, Microsoft is launching a limited-time playlist in Halo 5: Guardians. The Halo 3 Classic Throwback playlist features Halo 3 maps remade with Halo 5's Forge tools, including some of the best ones: Guardian, Boundless (Snowbound), The Pit, Citadel, Isolation, High Ground, and Ghost Town.
The loadouts for this playlist are a Halo 5 Battle Rifle with the classic scope as your primay and Assault Rifle as your secondary. Developer 343 has also adjusted the gameplay settings in Halo 5 to make it feel more like Halo 3. For example, motion tracker range is increased to 25, while all Spartan Abilities are of course disabled because Halo 3 didn't have those. Additionally, jump height is increased, player speed is decreased, and shield and health recharge rates are more in line with Halo 3's.
Additionally, the ball carrier movement speed for Classic Team Oddball is reduced, while flag carrier speed is reduced in Classic Multi-Flag CTF.
343's celebratory blog post is stuffed with really cool nostalgic details and comments from key developers. 343 boss Bonnie Ross's statement follows below:
"The launch of Halo 3 was a bittersweet moment for me on so many levels. I loved Halo 3, especially taking a road trip down Tsavo Highway, which is one of my all-time favorite Halo missions. That scenic drive, with so many very satisfying road kill opportunities, is something I'll always remember. But it was also a time when Bungie and people we had worked closely with for eight years were leaving to pursue their next dream. In many ways, I think of Halo 3 as Bungie's love letter to the fans and that letter still resonates with me personally to this day."
Be sure to read the full blog post, as it's stuffed with lots of other really interesting insight and stories about Halo 3. You can also check out the Halo 3 announcement trailer above to take a nice little stroll down memory lane.
Looking for something new to play on Xbox One this week? There are quite a few new and exciting games out this week to choose from.
Starting off, EA's FIFA 18 launches in full this week, following its release through EA Access. In addition to the bread-and-butter on-field action, FIFA 18 brings back the single-player mode, The Journey, which is now called The Journey: Hunter Returns.
Another notable new release this week is the amazing-looking and very difficult independent game Cuphead. Taking its inspiration from 1930s cartoons and featuring hand-drawn art and an original jazz soundtrack, Cuphead is a side-scrolling action game. You can play solo or with a partner through couch co-op.
Also out this week is Forza Motorsport 7's Ultimate Edition, which unlocks on September 29 ahead of its release for everyone the following week. Additionally, the next Pinball FX game, Pinball FX3, lands this week, as does the next episode in Telltale's Batman series.
You can see a full rundown of new Xbox One games coming out this week below, as rounded up on the Xbox Wire.
WWE 2K18 will launch for PC on October 17, which is the same day as the console versions, 2K Sports announced. That's notable because it's the first time in the history of the wrestling game series that the PC and console editions are launching on the same day.
October 17 is the release date for WWE 2K18's standard and deluxe editions, both of which will be available on PC through Steam on that day. On PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, people who pre-order can start playing four days early. This offer is not available on PC, but pre-order shoppers on PC will get two versions of Kurt Angle at launch.
Today's news is no doubt good for PC users looking to play as soon as possible, and it's probably a bottom-line booster for 2K Sports parent publisher Take-Two Interactive as well.
In addition to PC, Xbox One, and PS4, WWE 2K18 is coming to Nintendo Switch. A new TV trailer for WWE 2K18 was released today, and you can check it out in the embed above.
Today, the White House issued a memorandum in which it applauded President Trump's big plans to bolster science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs across the country. One of the video game industry's biggest and most important groups, the Entertainment Software Association, has now released a statement applauding the new initiative, saying it could pay dividends for the United States video game industry.
"ESA commends the Trump Administration on its bold leadership in computer science education," ESA president Michael Gallagher said. "The White House's new STEM initiative will help grow the diverse and high-skilled workforce that drives the $30.4 billion US video game industry."
"By expanding opportunities for America's youth interested in the creative tech sector, we can generate thousands of new American jobs and achieve new levels of innovation, invention, and economic success. We look forward to working with the Administration and industry partners."
The ESA is the organization that represents the video game industry's interests in Washington. The group also conducts market research, provides policy and legal guidance, and working to protect IP rights. The ESA also organizes E3 every year. Its members include some of the biggest and best known in gaming, including Activision, Bethesda, Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros.
As outlined in the memorandum, the Trump administration says it wants to "better equip America's young people with the relevant knowledge and skills that will enable them to secure high‑paying, stable jobs throughout their careers."
It goes on: "With the growing role of technology in driving the American economy, many jobs increasingly require skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) -- including, in particular, Computer Science. These skills open the door to jobs, strengthening the backbone of American ingenuity, driving solutions to complex problems across industries, and improving lives around the world. As part of my Administration's commitment to supporting American workers and increasing economic growth and prosperity, it is critical that we educate and train our future workforce to compete and excel in lucrative and important STEM fields."
Trump went on to say that too many young people lack access to "high-quality STEM education," and this puts them "at risk of being shut out from some of the most attractive job options in the growing United States economy."
It's not surprise that the ESA would support this initiative, given that it would theoretically help drive more people into the gaming industry.
Trump's memorandum also states that Computer Science courses are "especially scarce" in schools today, claiming that almost 40 percent of high schools do not offer physics and 60 percent do not have computer programming courses available.
"The Department of Education, therefore, should prioritize helping districts recruit and train teachers capable of providing students with a rigorous education in STEM fields, focusing in particular on Computer Science," Trump said. "This will help equip students with the skills needed to obtain certifications and advanced degrees that ultimately lead to jobs in STEM field."
Trump's message to the Department of Education is that it should make high-quality STEM education, particularly Computer Science, a priority. He called on Betsy DeVos, the Department of Education secretary, to consider this when she awards grant funds in fiscal year 2018 and beyond. Trump is directing the Department of Education to spend $200 million per year on the new STEM efforts.
GameSpot spoke with Gallagher at E3 this year. We asked about the Trump presidency specifically and what impact there might be on video games under his administration.
"Now we have a new administration in Washington that has brought some challenges. Everybody here is aware of them," he said to a room of reporters. "You're following them or feeling them. Gamers are feeling it both ways. Almost everyone in this country is a gamer, and almost 80 percent of gamers voted in the last election. Our job is to deliver the outputs and policy that extend and protect the frontiers of this industry."
Gallagher said some of what Trump has done in office has been positive for gaming, including tax cuts and repatriation efforts. "Those two things can be fantastic for bringing capital in--more investment in the industry, more dynamic creativity, and more jobs right right here at home. That's something we can get behind. The H1B1 Visa reform is something that is very powerful as a force for good in the industry. We're attracting the very brightest, the very smartest, so that's interesting."
"It's also our job to be clear to the administration when they're on the wrong track."
The ESA leader also said Trump did a good job of "holding other countries accountable" for the investments they make in US gaming. He said he hopes there can be NAFTA reform that includes digital trade. "The headliner, the No. 1 one thing the administration wants to put in NAFTA is digital trade," Gallagher said. "What's the leading digital trade? Ask Apple or Google where their revenue comes from. It's what our industry is making."
There are negatives as well, Gallagher said. He said Trump's eagerness to make tonally-off comments and when he does anything to impact the trust people might have for the highest office in the country, that can be bad for gaming too.
"We hear from our members, we hear from their employees. The policies that appear to be exclusionary or discriminatory--we're a worldwide industry," he said. "Anything we do as a country to diminish this or make it appear the US is not welcoming or is not a safe place, is hurting the business. And we've heard that all across the industry.
"So it's also our job to be clear to the administration when they're on the wrong track. So when core equities are at stake, we'll steer the administration in that direction. But remember, we have the US Constitution. This isn't a dictatorship. Congress has a lot to say about the direction [of our country] and we're working with them and have been working with them to make sure that. We also have the court system, which you know we're pretty good at using. We're good at using all of the levers to get where we need to be."
Weapons tied to factions have begun to pop up in Destiny 2, but things will soon become much more involved. Bungie previously revealed that something called Faction Rallies would begin on September 26, but we had no idea of what those would actually entail. The developer has now provided details on how they'll work and what you can get by participating. [Update: Destiny 2's new patch is now online, which prepares for the game for Faction Rallies. As pictured below, you'll see markers on the map for the new NPCs, but they aren't actually in place yet.]
Faction Rallies are a special event that kicks off with the weekly reset on Tuesday, September 26, at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET / 9 AM BST and runs until the same time on October 3. All three factions return from the original Destiny--Dead Orbit (represented by Arach Jalaal), Future War Cult (Lakshmi-2), and New Monarchy (Executor Hideo)--to task players with "gather[ing] supplies for their faction and destroy[ing] enemy resources." This is done by simply playing the game--you'll choose one of the three factions to align yourself with and then earn Faction Tokens by completing public events, Lost Sectors, Strikes, or the Raid, or by playing Crucible.
Faction Tokens can be turned in for rewards packages, which include a variety of faction-specific items, including weapons, armor, and shaders (you can see all of these in the gallery above). There looks to be quite a lot of gear for each faction.
Additionally, each faction has a "powerful weapon" that is specific to it--Dead Orbit has a scout rifle, FWC a pulse rifle, and New Monarchy a sidearm (also pictured above). At the end of the event, the faction that collected the most packages is named the winner, and its weapon will be sold to all players for 50,000 glimmer. Members of the winning faction will be able to purchase it for only 1,000 glimmer. The winner will be named at 10 AM PT on October 3.
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. Take note that each weekly reset shuffles the order of three major encounters in the Raid.
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.
Maintenance for Destiny 2 has concluded, with the servers staying down for longer than expected. Coinciding with them coming back online, Bungie has released a new update and shared the patch notes that detail everything it does.
Most notable in update 1.0.3 is the introduction of Faction Rallies. As detailed recently, these limited-time events allow you to pledge your loyalty to one of the three factions and then earn reputation tokens for performing certain tasks. These can be turned in for faction-themed rewards, with an exclusive weapon also up for grabs at the end of the event.
The patch otherwise largely deals with bug fixes, though there are also some changes to things that aren't bugs. The Call to Arms Milestone, which tasks you with playing Crucible matches every week, will now require less progress to complete. This is intended to "align it with other weekly Milestones." Additionally, the location of Power ammo has been adjusted for both Clash and Supremacy.
In terms of bug fixes, players should now properly receive their weekly clan Engrams, although you'll still lose out on them during weeks where you leave a clan. Clan XP should also now be always handed out properly for participating in Public Events. And in Crucible, new measures have been taken to prevent players from leaving the map; that precise problem forced the most recent Trials of the Nine's map and mode to be changed.
Full patch notes for the update follow below. Faction Rallies go live on September 26 following Destiny 2's weekly reset.
Destiny 2 Update 1.0.3 Patch Notes
Faction Rallies
Pledge to a faction Vendor
Pledging places a buff on the player character for the duration of the event associating the character with the faction
Earn faction Reputation tokens
By Destroying Enemy resources in Lost Sectors, completing public events, completing strikes, completing Crucible matches, and the Leviathan raid
Turn tokens in for reward packages
Earn faction themed rewards from your faction
Help your faction win
The faction with the most rank ups across the game will sell a new weapon at a discount for faction members
UI
Fixed an issue in which Hunters with a specific amount of health would see their health bar on the HUD at all times
Activities
Fixed issue in the raid that granted resurrection tokens unintentionally to players joining encounters in progress
Fixed an issue in which killing the first Minotaur too quickly in the Unbreakable Adventure would result in progression being blocked
Clans
Fixed an issue where clan XP was not being granted for completing public events
Fixed an issue preventing some player from receiving weekly clan engrams
Players who leave a clan will still not be eligible for clan rewards that week
Eververse
Fixed an issue in which Bright engrams would show 'Requires Level 20' if a player hadn't accepted all Leveling Rewards from Tess after reaching level 20
Fixed an issue in which the action button on weapon ornaments displayed Discard instead of Unlock
Crucible
Call to Arms
Reduced the amount needed to complete the milestone to align it with other weekly milestones
Midtown
Adjusted Clash & Supremacy power ammo locations
Added invisible physics volumes to keep players from leaving the intended playable space
Eternity
Added a soft-kill volume to keep players from hiding on the edge of the map
Dead players' Ghosts will no longer appear in the "Fork" location
General
Fixed an issue in which players in the Tower could sometimes fail to load gear
Fixed a crash when signing out of Destiny 2
Companion
Android
Fixed an issue in which the gear search button was covering item actions
Fixed an issue in which Ghosts were not showing in character gear
Added a filter and member count in the clan roster
iOS
Fixed an issue in the way gear power was sorted when including items that don't have power
Web
When you close an explore item in trending, the page no longer refreshes
There's a lot to uncover in the rich and vibrant world of Hob, the upcoming release from Torchlight developer Runic Games. The gameplay video above showcases the style of exploration and combat you'll find in this new action-adventure game. Also, be sure to check out our video coverage of the sprawling RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2, where we dive into the 7 Essential Tips For Beginners.
Switching things up from the hack-and-slash, dungeon-crawling gameplay of their previous games, Hob aims to offer a more thoughtful and adventurous experience about uncovering the hidden truths of your past--along with getting into a number of fights along the way. Hob brings players to an exciting and lush world where nature has overtaken an ancient civilization, leaving a number of unanswered questions.
Channeling classic action-adventure games like The Legend of Zelda, you'll play as a wandering, lost warrior who must explore this nearly abandoned world and discover how strange and discover how these strange and parasitic monsters have spread across the landscape. Wielding a massive, upgradeable mechanical arm, your reflexes will be tested as you unearth the hidden secrets of the land.
Along with Hob's visual style, takes a mostly silent approach to its storytelling, showing rather than telling you about the setting and the few characters that inhabit it. Hob is a rather peculiar title that aims to blend the mystique and wonder of a lost world with that of an action-adventure game where your wits and reflexes will win the day.
Hob is set to launch on September 26 on PS4 and Steam.
Overwatch continues its mixed media storytelling, this time with a comic focused on pink-haired bruiser Zarya. Titled "Searching," Overwatch #15 has a script written by Andrew Robinson and Joelle Sellner with art and colors by Kate Niemczyk.
Blizzard provided the following synopsis for this issue: "Aleksandra Zaryanova is in over her head when Katya Volskaya sends her to eliminate the elusive hacker known as Sombra. At her wit's end, Zarya reluctantly teams up with an omnic hacker. Butting heads all the way, they hone in on their target. Through strife, Zarya begins to realize that she will have to reassess her worldview about omnics being uniformly evil."
And you can check out a preview of the cover and a scene from the comic below:
The full issue will be available on Wednesday, 9/27 at comic.playoverwatch.com. But here's some more information about the team that created this upcoming issue.
"Andrew Robinson has written and consulted for some 30 animated TV shows in the last 16 years, including co-creating and overseeing the series Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters, which ran two seasons. Lured by the incredible storytelling potential he saw in Blizzard's games, he joined the company as a senior writer at the end of 2014, and has been happily writing cinematic shorts and in-game content--and now comics--for its various intellectual properties since then."
"Joelle Sellner's distinguished work in comics includes the Saved by the Bell and Mer graphic novels, both published by Lion Forge. She also contributed to IDW's Womanthology. She has written for a variety of other mediums including animation (Sonic Boom, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes), web series (LEGO DC Superhero Girls, Fifi: Cat Therapist) and video games (Bandai Namco'sSupernova.)"
"Kate Niemczyk is an illustrator from Poland whose career in comics began in 2016 with Marvel's Mockingbird written by Chelsea Cain, for which she and Chelsea received an Eisner Award nomination for Best New Series. Kate has contributed to several titles, drawing covers for Invincible Iron Man #10, Mass Effect: Discovery #1-4, and Warhammer 40,000: Revelations #4, as well as interior art for Faith #9 and several short stories. Before comics, she worked on video games, advertisements, and animation as an illustrator, concept artist and storyboard artist. She also worked with Division48 animation studio on animated segments for titles such as Might and Magic: Heroes VII and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Kate is a huge fan of video games and she also is well known for her video game related comic strips posted on her Tumblr blog: https://kate-n-bd.tumblr.com/."
Spoilers for Kingsman: The Golden Circle and its predecessor, Kingsman: The Secret Service, below
There's a scene in Kingsman: The Secret Service that soured the entire movie for some viewers, despite coming at the end (no pun intended). It's when Princess Tilde (Hanna Alström) offers Eggsy (Taron Egerton) anal sex if he "saves the world." It's a bad joke, but instead of learning from the justifiable backlash it received, Kingsman director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn made The Golden Circle even more misogynistic and degrading to women. In a movie that was intended as a fun piss-take on the male-dominated spy genre, that's a problem.
The original's butt sex joke may seem harmless, but a helpless, captive woman offering crass sexual favors in exchange for rescue is pretty dang retrograde. Vaughn has openly addressed the criticism, claiming the gag is "a celebration of women and the woman being empowered," which is completely ridiculous. There's nothing remotely "empowering" about being trapped in a cell and offering sex in exchange for rescue, no matter how the scene was intended.
That could have been a teachable moment for Vaughn, but one specific scene in The Golden Circle made it clear that the director isn't interested in improving the portrayal of women in his films.
It's bad enough that Halle Berry is stuck behind a desk the whole movie. Meanwhile, this universe's only female agent, Sophie Cookson's Roxy, spends her one scene as a glorified personal assistant, helping Eggsy impress his girlfriend's parents, before being unceremoniously blown up, cementing the fact that there's no room in these movies for powerful women. Sofia Boutella's Gazelle, with her sharpened blade legs, was an exception, albeit not exactly a two-dimensional character. Even so, she's the one character from the first movie I actually would have liked to see resurrected in The Golden Circle.
Julianne Moore's villainous Poppy is empowered as the villain, in that she literally has quite a bit of power. In a different context--say, if the rest of the movie was better--it would be possible to view her mid-century Americana obsession as a subversion of the imagery of the docile 1950s housewife. In some ways she's the best part of the movie, besides Elton John, whose jokes about how he doesn't want to be there come off a little too meta.
Princess Tilde's prominent role in the new film is clearly an attempt to actually buck that Bond-esque trope of the super-spy who sets his sexual conquests aside in between every movie. But by giving the princess nothing to do besides dote on Eggsy and pressure him into marrying her, Kingsman plants her firmly in the stereotypical role of a nagging girlfriend who doesn't understand A Man's Work. It's totally unbelievable that she'd be so squeamish about Eggsy seducing a target, given that she's, you know, dating an international super-spy. But that's apparently the only way Vaughn could imagine a woman reacting.
And Tilde's reaction is just a small part of what's problematic with the scene in which Eggsy has to seduce a woman so he can insert a tracking device into her vagina. It's terrible in every way: outrageous, but not hilarious; nonsensical, but not even close to satirical; reprehensible and degrading, yet our hero's only hang-up is that he might piss off his possessive girlfriend.
The scene involves Eggsy and Agent Whiskey (Pedro Pascal) flexing their machismo by trying various pick-up lines (a trope as unflattering to the men involved as the women) on a female target, Clara (Poppy Delevingne, Cara Delevingne's sister). They need to trick her into allowing them to sexually insert a tracking device into her vagina so they can find her boyfriend. The tracking device needs to be inserted via a mucous membrane, which Whiskey and Eggsy jokingly admit could include the target's nostril instead, before immediately dismissing that option because they both accept that it will be easier for one of them to seduce her than to simply stick a finger up her nose and walk away.
Since that makes no sense, the only actual explanation is that Vaughn simply thought it would be funnier this way. In Kingsman's ridiculously over-the-top universe, where briefcases are gatling guns and umbrellas stop bullets, the idea that the only tracker they've invented needs to be inconveniently inserted into women's vaginas is a bullet to suspension-of-disbelief's forehead (and not the kind that can be instantly healed with a bandage full of magic gel). The story suffers for this terrible gag reflex of a joke--which, by the way, could have been removed entirely with no difference to the plot, since our heroes learn the location of Poppy's secret lab from a phone call, rendering the tracker unnecessary in addition to being impractical and offensive.
From beginning to end, this scene is just terrible. Why does the insertion device look like a condom, but go on your finger, other than so Vaughn could jam in another dick joke? Why does the camera linger so long on Clara's body, including that uncomfortable close-up on her panties as Eggsy's finger delves inside? Did we really need that CG shot of her innards to top it off? Why did she offer to let him pee on her too, doubling down on the twisted sexual subservience that these films insist their female characters exhibit?
Kingsman: The Golden Circle shows nothing but contempt for its female characters. "James Bond would have done that," Vaughn said in an interview with Uproxx, defending the scene by way of Eggsy's discomfort with his mission. But Eggsy goes through with it, just like Bond would have. Vaughn has said he wants to subvert the spy genre, but he just keeps making it worse. Who ever said 007 was a role model, anyway?
At the end of The Golden Circle, Halle Berry's character Ginger Ale is finally promoted to agent status. Cross your fingers she makes it through her first mission alive in the next one--the odds are not in her favor.
Unlike its predecessor, Destiny 2 will release on PC. Although players will have to wait longer for it--Destiny 2 doesn't launch on PC until October 24 but is already available on Xbox One and PS4--the PC version does feature a variety of improvements and differences compared with its console counterparts. To help you get an idea of what to expect from the PC release of Bungie's hotly anticipated sequel, we've gathered all of the essential details below.
For more on the game, check out our Destiny 2 review. We also have tons of Destiny 2 guides, tips, and tricks for those who have already begun playing on consoles or are simply looking to get a head start on how things will work on PC.
Destiny 2 PC Release Date and Differences
The PC version is confirmed to release on October 24, while the Xbox One and PS4 versions are already out, having launched on September 6. (Betas on all platforms have also wrapped up.) In terms of actual playable content, everything is the same on PC--with one exception. Sony's timed-exclusive content for Destiny 2 affects not just Xbox One players, but those on PC. The PS4 version comes with an extra Strike, Crucible map, and some items that will not be available on other platforms for at least one year. There's no precise date for it yet, but after PlayStation-exclusive content in Destiny 1 remained exclusive for longer than expected, Bungie has explicitly stated that this Destiny 2 content will be out by the end of 2018.
Destiny 2 PC Minimum Requirements and Recommended Specs
While there may be changes made for the final release, Destiny 2's PC beta brought a list of minimum and recommended system specs. Additionally, Bungie provided a list of hardware for those looking to upgrade their systems, with CPU and GPU minimums and recommendations.
Texture Anisotropy (Anisotropic Filtering, up to 16x)
Texture Quality
Shadow Quality
Depth of Field
Environmental Detail Distance
Character Detail Distance
Foliage Detail Distance
Foliage Shadow Distance
Light Shafts
Motion Blur
Wind Impulse
Render Resolution
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Chromatic Aberration
Film Grain
Destiny 2 PC Control Scheme
The PC version uses a relatively straightforward control scheme, which you can see in the image below. It's worth noting that the controls are completely customizable.
Destiny 2 Doesn't Use Dedicated Servers
Unfortunately, the game will use peer-to-peer servers. However, this doesn't work quite the same as in the previous game; when Bungie explained why Destiny 2 doesn't use dedicated servers, it noted that you'll never run into a host migration situation.
Destiny 2 PC Impressions
During our hands-on time with the game, we found the mouse and keyboard support to be a welcome addition. It enhanced the overall feel of multiplayer, though it did seem to make the single-player portions we played easier than we anticipated. You can check out our analysis of the PC beta for a technical look at the game; for further impressions of the PC version, watch the video below.
Destiny 2 Review
If you're hoping the game is dramatically different from the original Destiny, you may be in for a disappointment, but those seeking a refined version of that game will likely be pleased. You can read our impressions of the full game on console in our Destiny 2 review diary and Destiny 2 review-in-progress.
Destiny 2 Uses Blizzard Battle.net
Destiny 2 uses Blizzard's desktop app. It's the first game not directly developed by Blizzard to appear on the platform. Activision and Blizzard have changed its name several times recently, but moving forward it will be referred to as Blizzard Battle.net.
Destiny Progress Doesn't Transfer to Destiny 2
Unfortunately, Destiny 1 power, possessions, and Eververse-related items and currency will not transfer over. While your character's appearance will not be abandoned in the sequel for console owners, there's no word if it'll support any kind of transfer from console to PC.
Amazon Prime subscribers can look forward to lots of new offerings this October. The streaming service is launching the third season of its comedy Red Oaks and, for anyone who's in the mood for a scare this Halloween season, Amazon's own Lore premieres.
Lore, from the producers of The Walking Dead and The X-Files, brings to life the popular podcast uncovering the real-life events that spawned our darkest nightmares. It will blend dramatic scenes, animation, archive video, and narration to reveal how our horror legends, like vampires, werewolves and body snatchers, are rooted in truth.
Other non-Amazon shows will see new seasons next month, including the sixth season of American Horror Story and the fifth season of The Americans. If you're in the mood for classic Halloween horror, Texas Chainsaw Massacre II and Invasion of the Body Snatchers are coming this month too. Check out the full list of new offerings on Prime below.
TV and Movies Coming to Amazon Prime This October
Available October 1
Alcoholist
Abandoned Mine
Bunker of the Dead
Clueless
Election
Escape from L.A.
Fargo
Ghost World
Ghoulies
Ghoulies II
I Believe in Unicorns
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Jug Face
Margot at the Wedding
Needlestick
Pet Sematary
Pet Sematary Two
Pi
Queens and Cowboys
Scareycrows
Snake Eyes
Texas Chainsaw Massacre II
The Machinist
The Whistleblower
Unlimited
Apartment 1303
Available October 2
Beauty and the Baker
Song to Song
Available October 3
American Horror Story S6
Available October 4
Blood Hunters
Save My Seoul
Available October 5
The Americans S5
Available October 6
The Fashion Hero
Available October 7
Blair Witch
Megan Leavey
Available October 9
Inside Edge (Amazon Original)
Available October 11
5150
Available October 13
Lore (Amazon Original)
Sigmund and the Sea Monster (Amazon Original)
City of Ghosts (Amazon Original)
Available October 14
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Available October 15
The Other Dream Team
The Whole Truth
Available October 18
Fight for Space
Available October 20
Red Oaks S3 (Amazon Original)
The Wall (Amazon Original)
Available October 25
Awaken the Shadowman
The Liberators
Available October 28
Arrival
Available October 29
Priceless
For a look at all the TV shows and movies coming to Netflix this October, including the second season of Stranger Things, check out our full list here.
The next patch for Fortnite arrives soon. Update 1.6.3 rolls out tomorrow, September 26, and introduces new weapons, squads, and more to the multiplayer survival game.
Perhaps the most notable additions in tomorrow's update are its new Duos and Squad matches for Battle Royale. Following the update, players will be able to form groups of two or four players to take on other teams. Epic says that Squad matches are available to play immediately, while Duos "will be activated when there are enough players to support matchmaking in both modes."
In addition to the new match types, Epic is adding a trio of new weapons with tomorrow's update, along with supply crates that drop from the sky during matches. These contain "valuable items and weapons" that players will want to get their hands on during a match. The update also makes a number of tweaks and bug fixes to the game's PvE Save the World mode.
We've posted a selection of the patch notes below; you can find the full list of tweaks and additions in update 1.6.3 on Fortnite's website. The update coincides with the release of Fortnite's Battle Royale mode as a standalone experience, which will be free to play on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. However, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds developer Bluehole spoke out about the mode and threatened taking some "action" against Epic due to similarities between the games.
Fortnite Update 1.6.3 Patch Notes
Battle Royale (PvP)
Squads
Invite friends to play on your team using the in-game Friends List.
Use the "Fill" option to automatically fill your team with other players.
When your health falls to zero you'll be "down but not out" (DBNO). Your squadmates only have a short amount of time to revive you before your health bar drains.
You can see your team members' status on the HUD, including Health and Shields.
Use the map to place location markers which are visible to your team and will display on the compass at the top of the HUD. Keep an eye out for markers from your squad!
Cooperate with team members to build awesome defensive structures!
Friendly-fire is enabled, so be careful where you aim! Intentionally attacking squadmates violates the code of conduct.
Gameplay Balance
Skydiving and paragliding lateral speeds have been reduced when moving backwards or strafing.
Falling damage when landing on slopes is reduced depending on the angle of the slope. Full damage is applied for horizontal surfaces, and reduced at steeper angles.
Foot dust no longer kicks up when crouched, aiming down sights or making small movements.
While using Health and Shield items, you can now move your character a short distance without cancelling the action.
Increased distance that you can see other players to 275m (was 250m).
Greatly increased distance that you can see player-created structures to 275m (was 180m). This fixes issues where players could appear to be floating in the sky, or projectiles would impact an "invisible" distant wall.
Additional changes from the Live Update on 9/20:
Adjusted Storm safe zones to reduce likelihood of the next zone appearing against the far edge of the previous zone.
Reduced falling damage. Falling damage now begins just above 3 stories, dealing 10 damage. Damage will continue to increase until becoming lethal at 6 stories.
Fixed an issue with the Storm safe zone locations.
This will on average reduce the amount of long-distance running per match.
Weapons
Added new weapons:
Scoped Assault Rifle
Zapotron
Tactical Submachine Gun
Added new Cell Ammo type for use with the Zapotron.
Added stars to each weapon's icon to indicate the level of rarity.
Grenades now drop in stacks of 3 (was 1).
Increased Grenade maximum stack size to 10 (was 5).
Reduced Shield Potion maximum stack size to 2 (was 5).
Increased ammo stack sizes found in loot.
Shells increased to 5 (was 4).
Medium Ammo increased to 10 (was 6).
Heavy Ammo increased to 6 (was 4).
Rocket Ammo increased to 2 (was 1).
Submachine Gun now fires 50% faster, but accuracy is reduced (compared to Tactical SMG).
Increased Grenade Launcher projectile velocity to 2750 (was 2000).
Minor movements will now have reduced impact on weapon spread.
Hit feedback at long distances appears immediately instead of being delayed.
Added new tracers that better reflect the behavior of instant hit weapons.
Added the ability to immediately interrupt shotgun reloading.
Sniper Rifle
Improved the sniper projectile visuals.
Added new sniper scope visuals with distance marks.
Fixed sniper rifle projectiles not playing impact effects at hit location.
Fixed sniper projectiles being destroyed too early under some network and collision conditions.
Muzzle-blocked reticle is now colored red instead of white.
Fixed muzzle-blocked reticle becoming blocked by players.
Fixed handgun not firing consistently when tapping very quickly.
Fixed weapon fire interrupting reload on weapons that individually reload bullets.
Fixed tracers going to unexpected locations when not hitting any collision.
Fixed reticle size not displayed accurately in certain display resolutions.
Additional changes from the Live Update on 9/20:
Increased sniper rifle projectile speed by 25%.
Increased weapon accuracy.
This is roughly a 50% increase in accuracy in the 'worst-case' scenario. Accuracy in best-case scenario (while crouched, aimed, and immobile) is unchanged.
Increased accuracy while running.
Increased accuracy while shooting full-auto.
Increased accuracy while hip firing.
Minimap
If you're caught inside the storm, a second line will appear on the map showing the shortest path to safety. Better run!
The storm now shows as purple on the minimap, with hazard lines indicating that it's not generally a good idea to stay in the storm.
You can now place map markers on the fullscreen map which are visible to team members. Choose a location using the mouse or controller movement stick, then place the marker using the Fire button. To remove the marker, use the Target/Aim button.
The size of player indicators were increased to make them easier to see.
Player indicators are now shown when on the Battle Bus or while Spectating.
The fullscreen map now becomes slightly transparent while your player is moving.
UI
Many aspects of the UI were updated to accommodate squad gameplay.
The HUD now displays your team member names along with their Health, Shields and whether they're "down but not out" (DBNO) or have been eliminated. This is also visible for the team you are spectating.
The kill feed text has been updated with better use of colors and fonts.
Many icons for weapons and items have been improved.
Added a Code of Conduct button to the menus.
Placeholder buttons have been added to the Matchmaking for Leaderboards and Stats. These will be implemented in a future update.
Fixed not being able to access the in-game menus while waiting to deploy from the Battle Bus.
Fixed elimination screen not indicating when you are eliminated by yourself.
Fixed various formatting issues with existing text in the game.
Fixed reticle being displayed while skydiving.
Fixed visual alignment issues with certain HUD elements.
Fixed some issues with fullscreen map when ALT+TAB-ing in Windows.
Inventory
Ammo now appears in your inventory and can be dropped.
Building Materials can be now dropped by double clicking on them in your Inventory.
Controller support will be added in a future update.
Weapons, Items and Building Materials can be now be dropped by dragging them to the Recycling Box on the Inventory screen.
Traps have been moved to the Resources section of the Inventory screen.
Fixed bug where inventory could display more slots than were actually available.
General
Fixed various issues that could cause the game to crash.
Added an indication of time left in the warmup lobby to the taskbar icon on Windows.
Spawned loot will now spread out a bit farther from their container.
Updated the tips displayed on the Battle Royale loading screens.
Fixed the Storm safe zone continuing to shrink after the game had ended.
Fixed camera moving away from Battle Bus during network lag.
Eliminated camera pops when your player initially spawns into the world.
Fixed "You cannot do that now" appearing while holding down the Reload button.
Fixed "Unable to Improve Building" appearing when clicking right stick on a controller.
Fixed Shield Potion use being cancelled by pressing the button multiple times.
Controller
Improved aim assist on controller.
Greatly reduced speed of lowest stick sensitivity setting, and increased speed of highest stick sensitivity setting.
Fixed issues with grenade toss when using a controller.
The "Reset Building Choice" gameplay option now works while using a controller.
Spectating
Minimap is now visible while spectating.
Added Total Kills, Players Remaining, and Storm Timer to the HUD while spectating.
Team members are now spectated first, if you are eliminated.
If the player you're spectating is eliminated, their assailant will now be spectated (rather than a random other player.)
Spectator camera now correctly matches the viewed player's gameplay camera.
Smoothed out spectator camera movement.
Save the World (PvE)
General
Fixed multiple client crashes.
Fixed multiple server crashes.
Fixed a rare issue that caused some players to be unable to play the Save the World mode when connected to Twitch.
Gameplay
Fixed an issue where the Teleporter and Banner gadgets would hover over empty space and are instead destroyed.
This prevents these two gadgets from being used to keep players in a "death loop."
Missions
Lok's Book of Monsters
The Floating Freaks quest will remain after the Mutant Storm Event ends and will unlock after Stonewood Storm Shield Defense 3 quest has been completed.
UI
Playing a Survive the Storm mission in a grey zone results in no XP gained.
Players will now be given a notice before playing a Survive the Storm mission in a grey zone
Fixed an issue that caused players to see zero XP earned after a mission, even though all XP was actually earned. Players should see the proper amount of XP earned at the end of a round.
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