Monster Hunter World is out now, and to celebrate developer Capcom has announced three crossover costumes for another of its games, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition for PS4 and PC. The costumes are based on three armor sets you can get in Monster Hunter.
The costumes will be available for Ken, R. Mika, and Ibuki, and are obtainable in Street Fighter V's Extra Battle Mode over the next three months. Each fighter gets a costume based on a particular monster's armor set in Monster Hunter.
Ken gets the Rathalos Armor Crossover Costume. In Monster Hunter, Rathalos is a flying wyvern, and the costume channels his poisonous talons, fiery projectiles, and a clubbed tail. R. Mika's costume is also based on a wyvern. She gets the Zinogre Armor Crossover Costume, based on Zinogre's canine features and ability to charge up and unleash electrical attacks. Lastly, Ibuki gets the Kirin Armor Crossover Costume. In Monster Hunter, Kirin is an Elder Dragon with a sharp horn and lightning-fast reflexes.
The Crossover Costumes will be available in Extra Battle Mode. To get the costume, players need to complete a series of four challenges over four weeks (one challenge per week). Each challenge costs 2,500 Fight Money. Once you complete the four challenges, you get the costume. The first challenge, for the Rathalos costume, starts on February 27. Check out the full schedule on Capcom's website.
Monster Hunter has always been an intimidating series to jump into for a variety of reasons. It's challenging for anyone, and traditionally it hasn't done a great job of explaining its various mechanics, leaving players to seek outside help. Monster Hunter World at least partially tries to address those problems, and in many ways, it succeeds.
In addition to providing more explanation to players in the early stages, players have what's called a Handler, who dispenses tips until you've made enough progress. There are also quality-of-life improvements like scoutflies that reduce the hassle of tracking a monster--something that's particularly helpful given World's larger environments.
In the video above, we chat about what it's been like to play World from both the standpoint of a series veteran and someone with less Monster Hunter experience. It should give you a sense of what to expect from World regardless of your experience level.
Following an outage earlier this week, the PlayStation Network is again experiencing issues for users on PS4 and PS3. This affects a wide variety of areas of the service, including the ability to log in. That will impede your ability to play games online--including the newly released Monster Hunter World and Dragon Ball FighterZ--and any number of other things.
Sony's PlayStation support account confirmed the sign-in issues on Twitter, saying only that it is investigating them. The PSN status page paints a grim picture, with all areas (except for PlayStation Vue) experiencing issues. Some aspects of the service are reportedly working--the ability to create an account is apparently unaffected, though you likely won't be able to sign in or launch certain games and apps.
There's not yet any word on how soon the problem will be fixed and PSN will be back online. Earlier this week, the problems extended for several hours, though that has no bearing on how long the latest batch of errors will take to resolve.
The latest Marvel movie is Black Panther, and it hits theaters in less than a month. There's been plenty of promotional activity for the movie over the past few weeks including this trailer and the first clip, which was revealed earlier this week. A new TV spot titled "War" has now landed.
There are a load of new shots in the latest promo, including extra footage of Wakanda and more of the confrontation between T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and the villainous Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). And following the news that Kendrick Lamar has produced the soundtrack, there's another chance to hear some of the music. Check it out below:
Black Panther is directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed). The cast also includes Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett, Andy Serkis, and Forest Whitaker. It hits theaters on February 12, 2018.
In a recent interview with Collider, Boseman spoke about how his approach to the character evolved from his Marvel debut in 2015's Captain America: Civil War. "Not to say that there wasn't a deep understanding [of the character], but some of the things that we came to an understanding of, we couldn't show in the last one," he said. "It gives it a chance to marinate. And those certain things that we were unsure about, we're now 100 percent sure about, even down to accent, and how you walk, or what his sense of humor is, which actually develops more in this movie.
"In the last movie, he was pretty focused on what he had to do, so there was no time to make any jokes. But in this one, you're seeing him in his more natural environment and around people that he knows."
For Honor's fifth season of added content will begin on February 15, Ubisoft has announced. The new season is called Age of Wolves, and as well as bringing "major" hero updates and lots more, it will also finally mark the introduction of dedicated servers to the medieval fighting game on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The new server setup won't arrive immediately, however. "Dedicated server infrastructure will be implemented in For Honor during Season 5," Ubisoft stated in a press release. "This implementation will remove the resyncing, session migrations, and NAT requirements that players currently have and deliver stable connectivity on all platforms. The exact timing of the implementation will be communicated at a later date."
Included in the new season itself will be updates to five existing heroes. Kensei, Conqueror, Highlander, Berserker, and Nobushi will all receive "major gameplay updates in order to re-balance the available roster." In particular, Kensei and Conqueror will receive new movesets, while Highlander, Berserker, and Nobushi will merely get "meaningful balancing updates." After Season 5 ends, five more For Honor characters will receive similar updates, and the game will also add three new training modes over the course of the season.
Few other specifics have been revealed about the upcoming season, which begins a year after the game first launched, though Ubisoft says its focus is on the game's "quality of life." To that end, it says Season 5 will include a new reputation level cap, a new gear progression system, the shift of the 4v4 Ranked Mode from Dominion to Tribute, and a new item that boosts XP in exchange for Salvage. Plenty more is coming to the game in 2018, as the company plans another full year of content updates.
A lot of the science fiction that's appeared on TV over the years isn't exactly what sci-fi fans would call "hardcore," from goofy procedurals with light futuristic elements to animated comedies like Rick and Morty. Altered Carbon doesn't have that problem.
Netflix's latest original show throws so many far out sci-fi concepts at you in its first 30 minutes, let alone across the whole 10-episode season, that it's often hard to keep track of what's going on from one scene to the next. But for those who stick with it, Altered Carbon is an engrossing show with fascinating ideas that it sees through all the way to the end.
The core premise isn't too hard to grasp: Thanks to an invention called the "cortical stack," humans are effectively immortal. Your personality and memories--everything that makes you "you"--exists in your stack, which nests embedded in your spine. If your body (or "sleeve," as the show says) dies, you can be "re-sleeved," as long as your stack remains intact.
The show follows Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), the last of a group of futuristic freedom fighters who gets woken up and re-sleeved 250 years after his arrest (no more jail--they just put your stack on a shelf for the duration of your sentence). Kovacs is tasked with solving the murder of one of society's elite, Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), a "Meth" (after Methusalah, a Biblical figure who allegedly lived to almost 1,000 years old). Bancroft's stack was destroyed in the killing, but thanks to his vast wealth and frequent backups he gets to keep on truckin', which (un)naturally adds yet more wrinkles to his murder case.
Altered Carbon is based on a book of the same name, written by Richard K. Morgan and published in 2002. It's equal parts Blade Runner and William Gibson--fully cyberpunk in every sense of the genre. It's a noir sci-fi/gumshoe thriller bursting with the trappings of both genres, from murdered prostitutes and holographic billboard ads to AIs who flit between the real world and some convoluted cyberspace (where they hold a regular poker game). Class differences (between the Meths and everyone else) are stark. We're far in the future here; space travel is routine, although besides flashbacks, the season is mostly contained to a single city.
This digital rabbit hole goes deep, and Altered Carbon's central mysteries are complex and enigmatic enough to keep the pace up through all 10 episodes. But what's most fantastic about this show is how fully it explores its central concept, the cortical stack. Imagine a society in which the richest people on the planet control a means of literal immortality, while the poor continue to scrape by, and the societal gap that would create. Now fill that gap with every conceivable depraved indulgence the 1% of the 1% might get up to if everyone's body was disposable and replaceable. That's exactly what Altered Carbon does.
Is murder still immoral if it's consensual, and the victim can be re-sleeved and back on the street corner within minutes? The police issue permits for spectacular deathmatches held in rich people's flying mansions, and husband-and-wife teams fight to the death as a party trick (the winner gets an upgraded sleeve).
Meanwhile, the poor make do; a little girl who gets hit by a car is re-sleeved into an old woman's body, because that's all that was available. Neo-Catholics treat re-sleeving facilities like abortion clinics, protesting in droves. Their stacks are specially coded so they can never be revived, frustrating detectives who've gotten used to "spinning up" most murder victims to simply ask who killed them. Criminals spin up your stack in virtual reality and torture you to death over and over until you give them what they want, while the most notorious create illegal copies of their own stacks so they can be in two (or more!) places at once.
This universe is as dense as they come. Altered Carbon isn't hardcore sci-fi because it's set on a spaceship or there are weird-looking aliens running around; it's because the show recognizes that revolutionary new technologies don't exist in a bubble. They alter the fabric of the world, like cars, air travel, the internet, and cell phones have.
Altered Carbon never shies from examining exactly how an invention like the cortical stack would change our reality, and this future society appears far different from our own. Yet in many ways, it's really exactly the same--which is more or less the prime directive of great science fiction.
After the series' six-year hibernation since Soul Calibur V's 2012 release, the developers at Bandai Namco have been eager to show off the next entry in the weapon-based fighting game franchise since its late-2017 reveal. Recently, Bandai Namco put out a trailer showcasing the new arrivals to Soul Calibur VI's roster, which includes returning characters Kilik, Xianghua, Nightmare, and the newcomer Groh. As the developers stated, Soul Calibur VI plans to take things back to the beginning of the Calibur saga, while also adding a sense of renewed style and refinement to the core gameplay.
We got to go hands-on with the upcoming fighter at a recent Bandai Namco event, where we took in a number of matches and saw just how much the series has grown during its six-year hiatus. In the video above, you can check out some matches from our session featuring the returning cast, along with the enigmatic Groh.
From the debut trailer at The Game Awards, many fans noticed that the two returning fighters, Mitsurugi and Sophitia, were looking younger than their appearances in previous Soul Calibur titles. And there's a good reason for that as it turns out. Serving as a bit of a hybrid between prequel and simultaneous reimagining of the original Soul Calibur, the sixth game covers much of the grey area in the story after the events of Soul Edge, while also laying the groundwork for something brand new. In doing so, some rather interesting choices have been made to revitalize its core mechanics and returning characters.
In addition to the returning cast of characters, which includes the samurai Mitsurugi, the greek warrior Sophitia, the young warrior Xianghua, the Soul Edge construct Nightmare, and the cursed monk Kilik, we also have the reveal of a new fighter named Groh. Wielding a double-sided sword--which detaches during his more complex combos attacks--the mysterious Groh channels dark energy in ways that deal massive damage to his opponent. During his special powered-up state, activated after achieving energy from his soul meter, he's able to swing his blade across the stage and attack his opponents from afar during special attacks. After playing a few matches with Groh, we were able to get accustomed to his playstyle and moveset fairly quickly, and he'll likely be a solid pick for newcomers to the series.
In addition to sharper and more detailed visuals--powered by Unreal Engine 4--the core combat focusing on well-timed weapon strikes and parries also has some new tricks up its sleeve. Soul Calibur VI's new mechanic called the Reversal Edge adds more cinematic and tense moments to fights. When activated, players will face off in a rock-paper-scissors style game of wits, where you'll have to strike at an opening in your opponent's defenses. While these can end in a stalemate, with either both players matching strikes or one dodging them outright, landing a hit can deal significant damage to your opponent--which can result in an armor break on your foe. Along with this new mechanic, many of the core system from the series--such as Guard Impacts, counters, and the return of the over the top Critical Edge--have also seen some upgrades.
Although it was only just announced late last year, Soul Calibur VI is in very solid shape. One of the strengths of the the series is balancing accessible gameplay with the mechanics that fighting game vets love, and Soul Calibur VI continues that tradition in some fun ways. It'll be interesting to see how the core story will be presented in-game, given its focus on reimagining the events of the original Soul Calibur. While the story throughout the series has mostly been background dressing, it does as a solid context for what players can expect from the roster.
Still on track for a 2018 release, and with it being playable at EVO Japan 2018, we'll likely be hearing more from Soul Calibur VI throughout the year. And while it's great to see some familiar faces return, the one thing we're all wondering is what sort of guest characters will find their way into this game? It's hard to top Star Wars' Yoda and Darth Vadar, but we're sure that Bandai Namco will try its best to.
Monster Hunter World has released for PS4 and Xbox One, but PS4 players have some additional content right from the outset. On the official Capcom Unity blog, the publisher confirmed that the first quest to get the PS4-exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn armor will be available at launch, but it won't be around for very long.
Beginning today, January 26, PS4 players will be able to embark on the first part of the Horizon Zero Dawn Event Quest. You'll need to attain a Hunter Rank of 6 or higher in order to accept the quest, which has you hunting eight Barnos. After completing the mission, you'll obtain materials that can be forged into Horizon-themed Watcher armor for your Palico companion.
The first part of the Horizon Event Quest will only be available until February 8, giving players a limited time to rank up and obtain the Palico armor. It will be followed by the second Horizon Event Quest on February 28, which will be available until March 5. While Capcom hasn't announced the details of that quest yet, it will reward players with materials to craft Horizon protagonist Aloy's bow and armor.
The Horizon Zero Dawn armor isn't the only exclusive content Capcom has offered PS4 owners. Over the past few weeks, the company has held several Monster Hunter World beta tests that were available only on PS4, the most recent of which took place last weekend and gave players a chance to hunt Monster Hunter World's fearsome cover monster, the Nergigante.
Capcom has regularly released crossover DLC items for past Monster Hunter titles; the series' 3DS installments received weapons and armor based on the Legend of Zelda, while a set of retro Mega Man Palico armor is also coming to Monster Hunter World. The first free DLC for Monster Hunter World is scheduled to arrive in spring and adds the Deviljho. However, players who want to play Monster Hunter World online and download any DLC will need to install a day-one update, which adds online features (as well as the adorable Poogies).
Monster Hunter World is now available for PS4 and Xbox One. A PC version is also in development, though that won't arrive until sometime this fall. The game has been met with very positive reviews. Critic Ginny Woo awarded it an 8 out of 10 in GameSpot's Monster Hunter World review and called it "likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been."
This story has been updated with additional details about the Horizon Zero Dawn Event Quest.
The new entry in the Monster Hunter series, Monster Hunter World, has arrived on Xbox One and PS4, with a PC release still to come. Being made for more powerful hardware--as opposed to 3DS, like recent entries in the series--has allowed it to be bigger and better-looking than previous Monster Hunters. That's especially true when playing on the upgraded versions of the two consoles, and right now, you can pick one up in a nicely discounted bundle.
Aside from the separate PS4 Pro bundle that gets you Monster Hunter World and Titanfall 2 for free, Newegg has a deal on the Xbox One X. On its website (via Wario64), the retailer is selling the system for its regular price of $500 but with a free copy of Monster Hunter World tossed in. Given the game launches today and is priced at $60 on its own, that's a nice incentive to pick one up.
The system and game are new and unused, although shipping is not free. This offer is available from now through Thursday, February 1 (unless it sells out before then). If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, there is also the aforementioned PS4 Pro deal that sells for $100 less. On either that system or Xbox One X, you'll be able to leverage the additional horsepower to improve the experience. A setting allows you to prioritize framerate, resolution, or other visual effects, which you can't do on a standard PS4 or Xbox One.
The newest Monster Hunter game is now available for PS4 and Xbox One--read our Monster Hunter World review here--and like many other titles nowadays, it'll require an update on release day. Capcom recently shared details about the game's day-one patch, which adds a couple of features and will be required to play the game online.
According to the official Monster Hunter World website, the version 1.01 update weighs in at roughly 815 MB, though the exact file size will likely vary depending on which console you're playing the game on. Most importantly, the update adds online multiplayer, event quests, chat, and other online features, meaning you won't be able to play Monster Hunter World online with other players or download any additional content until you've installed the patch.
In addition to the online features, the 1.01 update makes some unspecified bug fixes and adds a Gallery mode to Monster Hunter World's main menu, which allows you to re-watch any cutscenes you've witnessed in the game. Last, but certainly not least, the patch introduces Poogies, the adorable pet piglets that have appeared throughout the series. Once players have reached a certain point in the story, a Poogie will appear in Astera's tradeyard. You can pet the Poogie and form a bond with it, and once it warms up to you, you can carry it in your arms around Astera to help you locate hidden treasure.
Monster Hunter World is now available worldwide on PS4 and Xbox One, and alongside it, Capcom has released an important day-one patch for the game. Not only will you need to install the update if you'd like to play online with other players, it's required in order to receive any of Monster Hunter World's downloadable content, including the bonus items Capcom offered with pre-orders.
After installing the day-one patch, which weighs in at approximately 815 MB, you'll be able to claim rewards from the Housekeeper in your room in Astera. If you pre-ordered the title digitally, you'll have to download your bonus items (the Origin set and Fair Wind Charm) from the PlayStation or Xbox Stores. Once the items have been downloaded, launch Monster Hunter World and talk to your Housekeeper. Select the "Claim Bonuses" option and the items will appear in your Equipment Box.
Those who purchased the Monster Hunter World Digital Deluxe edition will receive their items automatically, while the Collector's edition includes a download code for its bonus content. If you missed out on either but would still like to get your hands on their bonuses, you can purchase the Deluxe Kit, which contains the same items as the Deluxe edition (excluding its Weapon avatars), from your console's respective digital store and follow the above process to claim them.
Those who participated in the PS4-exclusive Monster Hunter World beta tests and completed each mission can also claim a special Camouflage Face Paint and Commendations Packs as a reward. To receive the items, launch Monster Hunter World with the same PSN ID you used during the beta, then speak to the Housekeeper and claim your bonuses. The Commendations Packs will be added to your Item Box, while the Camouflage Face Paint will appear as a new option in the Change Appearance menu in your Equipment Box. Additionally, PS4 players will need to install the day-one update to take on the exclusive quest to get Horizon Zero Dawn DLC armor.
Sony may have recently announced some new PS4 bundles featuring Monster Hunter World, but if you're simply looking for the best possible deal, that's not the way to go. Instead, a new offer for those in the United States throws in two free games with the purchase of the system, making it an ideal way to jump in.
Retailer Newegg's store on Ebay is currently selling the PS4 Pro at its regular price of $399 with two freebies. The first of these is Monster Hunter World, the acclaimed RPG which was just released today, January 26, and sells for $60 on its own. The other free game is a bit older (and thus cheaper) but is nonetheless an excellent one in Titanfall 2.
These items are all new and unused, and a free shipping option is available; the only caveat is that it's only available in the US. Obviously, you won't be getting your hands on it for release day, so patience is also required. But if you're willing to wait for it to be delivered, this might be your best option for picking up a PS4 Pro and Monster Hunter around launch. The offer is available until Friday, February 2.
If you're willing to spend a bit more, there's also an official Monster Hunter World PS4 Pro bundle that includes a copy of the game and a specially designed system (and controller) for $450/£380. It's out now, but supplies are "very limited," and in the US, it's a GameStop-exclusive, so it may not be easy to get your hands on.
But how enjoyable is it? You might already have an idea if you've joined in one of the game's multiple PS4 betas. Now, however, reviews of the full game have begun to go live around the world. In our verdict, we said World is "likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been." Check out our in-depth thoughts in our Monster Hunter World review. Alternatively, read on for a selection of other critics' reviews, or head over to GameSpot sister site Metacritic for a wider view of critical reception.
Game: Monster Hunter World
Developer / Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: Out now (PS4, Xbox One) / 2018 (PC)
Price: US $60 / £50 / AU $110
GameSpot -- 8/10
"Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." -- Ginny Woo [Full review]
IGN -- 9.5/10
"Whether or not it's the best, this is certainly the most audacious Monster Hunter game. World takes a dramatic leap into a look, feel, and size that feels truly new, simultaneously staying true to the series' ideals by maintaining the addictive loop of combat, intimidating monsters and meaningful upgrades that fans love. The sheer depth and commitment required is still intense, but it clearly isn't Capcom's aim to court a casual crowd. This is as all-consuming and incredible a ride as ever." -- Joe Skrebels [Full review]
Eurogamer -- Essential
"Invest a little, though, and you'll get an awful lot back. The truth of Monster Hunter--and arguably its greatest strength--is that you're never truly its master, and that every player, be they novice or veteran, is always learning something new. Monster Hunter World sees 13 years of evolution come crashing together with some new influences to create a very exciting breed of beast. This has always been a superlative series; with the release of World, it's only become easier to see that's an undoubtable truth." -- Martin Robinson [Full review]
GamesBeat -- 90/100
"Monster Hunter World is one of the more rewarding action role-playing games I've played in recent years. The game is enjoyable either solo or with other players, and it manages to take advantage of modern hardware to envelop you in a beautiful world. I never got into Monster Hunter before, but now I can't wait for this game to officially be out so I have more people to play with." -- Mike Minotti [Full review]
Destructoid -- 9/10
"If you've been skipping out on Monster Hunter games for a while because they seem to blend together, jumping into World is your chance to get in. Just know that Capcom hasn't really shaken up the formula enough to piss off veterans or appeal to people who don't welcome grinding with open arms." -- Chris Carter [Full review]
Sea of Thieves' Xbox One and PC beta has experienced some problems since it started earlier this week, with some players unable to access the trial at all until very recently. In response, developer Rare has now extended the game's beta by two days; the test period will now end on Wednesday, January 31 at midnight PT / 3 AM ET / 8 AM GMT / 6 PM AEST.
Regarding the issues themselves--which have seen some users met with a "too early" message, denying them entry to the beta--Rare says it has deployed a fix that is "unfortunately taking longer than anticipated to reach all affected players." The company has apologized for the delay and says it is still working on returning normal service to all players.
For those who manage to take part in the beta, Rare says it has crafted a tailored experience for the trial "that offers a true taste of the pirate life," rather than simply featuring a portion of the full game. Like the Sea of Thieves technical alpha that took place back in December, the closed beta is only available to those who either joined the Sea of Thieves Insider Program prior to December 1, 2017 or pre-ordered the game. Players who fell into the latter camp received the beta automatically if they pre-ordered Sea of Thieves digitally, while those who reserved the title at retail had to redeem a code in order to install the beta.
Nintendo Switch owners looking for something new to play have a lot of options to choose from. A bunch of new games are now available in the Switch Eshop, and they consist of 15 titles that have rolled out over the past week.
In addition to the above titles, a pair of games released for Switch earlier this week, on January 23: the beautiful side-scrolling platformer Shu and the traditional RPG Lost Sphear. The latter is the second title by Tokyo RPG Factory, the developer behind the Chrono Trigger-inspired I Am Setsuna. This week also saw the release of ChromaGun, a Portal-like game in which you use the titular ChromaGun to solve puzzles by shooting different colors at objects.
You can find the full list of this week's new Nintendo Switch releases below. At least one notable title is in store for the system next week: the critically acclaimed adventure game Night in the Woods, which launches for Switch on February 1. A number of other high-profile titles are also coming to the system next month, including Dragon Quest Builders, Fe, and Bayonetta 2.
The Last Jedi was the longest movie in the Star Wars series to date, but fans can expect even more material in the coming months. As well as the deleted scenes that will feature on the Blu-ray, it has been revealed that the upcoming novelization also adds some brand-new sequences.
Author Jason Fry spoke about the novelization on the latest edition of the official Star Wars Show. He explained that he worked on it in collaboration with Last Jedi writer/director Rian Johnson. "Rian Johnson and I had an amazing conversation," he said. "We got to write entirely new scenes for the book: Han Solo's funeral, Rose and Paige Tico together, and further explorations of the fascinating world of Canto Bight, to name just a few."
The Last Jedi novelization arrives on March 6. We also know that the Blu-ray release, which hits shelves on the same day, will feature 20 minutes of deleted scenes. One of these was also revealed on TheStar Wars Show. It shows Rey racing towards what seems to be a fire on Acht-To but actually turns out to be some sort of Caretaker party. The scene also includes some intense dialogue between Rey and Luke.
Last month, Johnson provided some further hints about what fans could expect from the deleted scenes. "There's a whole extended sequence where Finn and Rose and DJ sneak through the Mega Destroyer when they're trying to find the tracker," he said. "It's a full sequence of like stuff with them sneaking through this big office area of the Mega Destroyer and then having to fake out these Stormtroopers."
In related news, Johnson took to Twitter recently to defend one of The Last Jedi's most controversial scenes. Through a series of pictures, he showed why Luke projecting a vision of himself to fight Kylo Ren made perfect sense.
The Eshop's Nindies New Year sale may have recently concluded, but a new batch of Switch games are discounted in the digital store right now. Nintendo has kicked off another limited-time Eshop sale, offering players deals on a selection of great Switch games through the coming week.
You can find the full list of games on sale right now on Nintendo's website. Many of the above discounts are only available until 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET on February 1, giving you a few days to take advantage of any deals you may be interested in.
Nintendo's first mobile game, the Mii-based social networking app Miitomo, is coming to an end. Nintendo announced it will discontinue services for the title on May 9, a little over two years after it first launched.
"We see this app as accomplishing a portion of our goal of getting Nintendo IP (in this case, Mii characters) into the hands of consumers across a variety of environments worldwide," Nintendo said on its support website. "At the same time, we've seen the number of ongoing users for the app decrease. We have decided to discontinue this service so that we can better optimize our operational resources across our entire smart device business."
Miitomo will be discontinued in all regions simultaneously at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET, after which point players will no longer be able to launch the game. Any Platinum Points you have earned from Miitomo can still be redeemed on My Nintendo, and Sidekick Miis can be saved as QR codes and transferred to the Mii Maker app on 3DS and Wii U. However, players will not be able to formally save any Miitomo content, such as conversations or answers, outside of taking screenshots of it.
Ahead of Miitomo's shutdown, Nintendo has removed all in-app purchases from the game. The company is also holding a Final Thank You Festival event leading up to its final day. Players will receive 2,000 Miitomo coins and 5 game tickets as a daily login bonus up until the service is discontinued. Nintendo is also running a final Miifoto event from now until April 18 that asks players to create a photo of their favorite Miitomo memories and share it on Twitter. The best entries will be posted on the official Miitomo website.
With its latest update, Blizzard answered a common complaint among Overwatch fans. Rather than release new items that can only be obtained for a limited time through an event-specific loot box, it added more than 100 new cosmetics into the standard loot box. That means there's no big hurry to unlock everything--but it also means you're left hoping for a lucky drop from a loot box that contains a lot of stuff.
Since the patch's launch, many players have noticed that obtaining the new skins, in particular, is tough. In our livestream above, we opened 50 loot boxes and didn't get even a single one of the 17 new skins. This has led some to wonder if anything is wrong with the game, but according to Blizzard, it's simply because these items aren't available through an event-specific loot box, as is normally the case with new skins.
"Please keep in mind that unlike during events you're not guaranteed to get a new item in every box," the developer said on Twitter. "These items went into the pool of all available items in the base loot box." In another tweet, it stated, "The loot box odds have not changed."
That may come as little consolation to those who have already opened numerous loot boxes and gotten no new skins, but it does help to set expectations properly. It may also serve as some warning that you may not want to spend real-world money on loot boxes, at least unless you're okay with the possibility that you won't get a new skin. Bear in mind, you can also specifically buy individual skins with credits if you're eager to get your hands on specific ones.
Alongside the skins, the update also introduces new sprays, emotes, highlight intros, and player icons, as well as a new map, Blizzard World. You can check out all the new skins and sprays in our gallery, but it won't be the last of the new content in the near future. A Lunar New Year event is on the way, as are returns of the Uprising and Anniversary events.
Today, developer PUBG Corp. revealed that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has passed 4 million players on Xbox One. To celebrate the milestone, the studio is giving away a whole bunch of in-game currency to Xbox players for use on loot crates.
Specifically, Xbox One players will receive 30,000 Battle Points to use on in-game cosmetic items. However, you must have purchased the game and created a character by 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET / 8 AM UTC on January 31 in order to get the bonus. The points will appear on February 1.
30,000 points actually works out to a good number of loot crates, but you can get more out of the bonus if you spread the money out over several weeks. PUBG's crates get progressively more expensive the more you buy in a week; you can buy a max of 6 crates per week, the cheapest being 700 points and the most expensive being 7000. Buying 6 in a week would cost you 21,700, meaning that you could purchase about 9 crates if you spent the money as fast as possible. But if you spread it out and bought one per week, that 30,000 could get you 42 boxes--of course, that'd take you 42 weeks to do.
In other news, PUBG recently received a new update on Xbox One that aims to fix bugs and improve controls. It got an auto-run option, an easier way to drop weapons, and more. PUBG remains in the Game Preview program on Xbox One, and there's still no word on when features like the desert map will arrive in the console version.
There are only a few more days until the 2018 Royal Rumble, and this year's event is going to be huge. It is the first year that the women's division at WWE will get their own Royal Rumble match. That means that fans will be getting two Rumble matches on Sunday, January 28.
This year's event will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT. As of this writing, there are only six matches on the card, but there will be a Kickoff Show on the WWE Network and on YouTube starting at 5 PM ET/2 PM PT. In total, both shows will likely run between five and six hours.
The easiest way to watch the Royal Rumble is on the WWE Network. The app can be accessed on phones, tablets, or through your PC, as both iOS and Windows 10 have apps available. Additionally, many smart TVs have the app available for download or you can use streaming devices like Apple TV, Roku, or Chromecast. The network is also available on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4 by downloading the app through their stores. Currently, you can sign up for a free month of the WWE Network to watch the Rumble, as long as you remember to cancel the service afterwards if you're no longer interested. Even though the first month is free, you'll still need a valid credit card to sign up. Otherwise, you can order the event through your cable or satellite provider. For Comcast subscribers, the event will cost $45, and for those who have Verizon Fios, they will be paying $55.
If betting odds are any indication of the winner, then there are a few surprises coming this Sunday. The odds at BetWay (via Odds Shark) have Smackdown's Shinsuke Nakamura favored to win the men's Rumble, followed by Raw's Roman Reigns and Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan. On the women's side--believe it or not--former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey is favored to win, which is who GameSpot's Greg Thomas picked to win the match. She is followed by Raw's Asuka and Smackdown's Becky Lynch. Rousey may be a big gamble as she's currently in Bogota, Columbia filming a movie. She told TMZ that there's no deal year and her appearing at the Rumble is impossible. However, we're talking about wrestling and secrets and misdirection are a part of the business.
Come back to GameSpot on Sunday for live coverage of the event, as well as our takes on the PPV itself. If you're looking for even more information about the Rumble, check out the links below.
The latest update for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is now live on PC. Following a longer-than-expected maintenance period, developer PUBG Corp. has rolled the recent test server patch over to the live game, improving its stability and performance.
This latest update marks the third big one PUBG has received since leaving Early Access on PC back in December, though it appears to be fairly minor on the surface. It doesn't introduce any new features or content to the game; instead, it focuses primarily on optimizing PUBG's performance without tweaking its gameplay.
Most notably, PUBG Corp. has added more starting locations to both of the available maps and removed weapons from the starting island before the match begins in order to reduce stress on the game's servers. "Previously, all the players would spawn together at the same location awaiting the start of the match. Lots of interaction among multiple players in such a small area had a high impact on the servers," the developer explained in a post on the Steam forums. "To solve this, we have introduced multiple areas where players gather before the match start. As a result, the performance, both server and client-side, has improved."
PUBG Corp. also says that it will make additional adjustments "related to the airplane performance improvement." Further details on what those will entail will be announced "soon." Additionally, the studio is testing a new anti-cheating measure, though that is still currently in development. PUBG Corp. has been implementing new systems to help curb cheating, which has been a persistent issue for the game. In the previous PC update, the developer introduced a system that allows players to report a suspected cheater from the replay feature.
You can read the full patch notes for PUBG's new update--as taken from the Steam forums--below. The Xbox One version of PUBG also received a new update recently. That patch introduced an auto-run option and made various crash fixes.
PUBG Update #3 Patch Notes
Gameplay
Introduced multiple pre-match starting areas on both maps in order to optimize the server and game client performance
Removed weapons on starting island before the match start
Language
Applied new Russian, Japanese and Chinese (simplified/traditional) fonts
Bug fixes
Fixed the issue where players were able to slide-jump from prone
Following issues with server maintenance, update 2.3.0 was released to Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and it focuses a lot on bug fixes, item balancing, and small, quality-of-life improvements. For example, Epic has added auto-run to the game, triggered by pressing "=" and "NumLock" on PC, and by double-clicking the left stick on consoles. In addition, it has added the Chug Jug item, which takes 15 seconds to consume but grants max Health and Shields. Additionally, you'll no longer earn stat or challenge progress when quitting a match early. Those will only be awarded upon elimination or victory.
In the Save the World game mode, the Mutant Storm Event has begun once again. This time around, Mutant Storms will appear more frequently, and Mutant Storm mission alerts award Storm Tickets as well as Evolution Materials. You can see the rest of the Mutant Storm features and additions in the patch notes.
Epic originally took Fortnite down late last night in order to work on its servers and deploy the update, but the outage lasted longer than it anticipated. According to a post by Epic on Fortnite's subreddit, the outage resulted from issues with a database.
"During our downtime to upgrade to 2.3, we were performing recommended tasks to resolve a lingering database issue," it wrote. 'Those tasks ended up causing the database to go into a bad state. After significant consideration, we decided our best option was to restore from a backup at the moment we took the servers down for the patch. Our first restore failed (due to issues unrelated with the quality of the backup) and we're working on a second attempt at the restore. We're on it and it will be up as soon as humanly possible."
Finally, about 14 hours after Fornite was taken down, it went live again, complete with the new 2.3.0 patch. In other news, Fortnite received an even more substantial patch that significantly reworked the map.
Over the past few months, Bungie has talked a lot about how it plans on changing Destiny 2 to make it more rewarding, engaging, and transparent, especially for end-game players. Today, the studio revealed some of the results of that effort: Raid perks and Masterwork armor.
Up until now, weapon and armor perks have been fairly general. But now, Bungie is adding new mods that apply Raid-specific perks to gear. For example, a new mod called Emperor's Blaze grants a 25% buff to Solar ability damage while playing the Leviathan Raid. These mods drop on Raid armor pieces and will be selectable on Raid armor that you already own. They're reusable, meaning that you can swap to more general mods while running other activities, then swap back for the Raid, although you'll have to pay one Calus Token to reuse one. Finally, they all are Legendary mods, meaning that you'll still get the five Power bonus for using them.
Destiny 2's Raid is getting a few more tweaks, as well, that should make it more rewarding to play multiple times. Completing the Prestige Raid now grants both Prestige and normal Raid awards, so you won't have to go back and do the Raid again on normal mode to get all of the drops. Additionally, Raid encounters will now always drop a Raid gear piece so that players won't be left with nothing after completing an encounter. Further, if you've completed the Raid during a certain week, you can purchase the remaining Raid gear you didn't get from the vendor Benedict. Finally, a new Exotic Ghost Shell can drop from the final encounter in either Leviathan or Eater of Worlds.
Bungie is also adding Masterwork armor to the game. Masterwork weapons have already been in Destiny 2 for a while, and you get them the same way: Legendary items have a chance of dropping as a Masterwork, or you can upgrade any Legendary to a Masterwork. Each piece of Masterwork armor grants a 3% damage resistance while using a Super move, and this stacks as you acquire more Masterwork pieces.
Destiny 2's Iron Banner tournament is coming back, and it'll arrive with new weapons and Ornaments for you to collect. And you won't have long to wait: it starts next Tuesday, January 30 and runs through February 6.
This is the first Iron Banner of Destiny 2's second season of content, and it features Control as its game type. It comes with a whole bunch of new rewards, as well. Several more weapons and items have been added to the possible drops from Lord Saladin's Engrams, including a cool-looking hand cannon, scout rifle, shotgun, Sparrow, Ghost, and ship. You can see all of them, except the ship, in the gallery below.
If you still have past Iron Banner gear to collect, first-season items can still drop from Engrams. In addition, Bungie has added a way for players to directly buy Iron Banner gear, rather than relying on Engram drops. You can now purchase armor and three weapons from Lord Saladin during each event. Finally, if you complete Lord Saladin's challenges, you can earn Ornaments for Iron Banner gear.
Arc System Works' Dragon Ball FighterZ is almost here. The game recently had an open beta that will be available again before launch, and we recently showed off every super move. In the video above, you can see Easter eggs and every Dragon Ball Z-inspired finishing scene we've found so far.
These "Dramatic Scenes" recreate iconic moments from the series when certain stage, team, and fighting conditions are met. For example, landing the KO as Goku in a match against Frieza can trigger the famous Mighty Blast of Rage (or Angry Kamehameha) from the series.
Dragon Ball FighterZ follows a 3v3 format similar to more recent Marvel vs. Capcom games. It has a new story mode that seems to take place sometime after the Universe 6 Saga, and it introduces a brand-new character, Android 21. You can find out more about what to expect in our Dragon Ball FighterZ review in progress.
We're now well into January, but it's not too late to grab the free games that are now available for PlayStation Plus subscribers. January's allotment of free PS Plus games are out now on the PlayStation Store, meaning that titles like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Batman: The Telltale Series have temporarily dropped to the low, low price of free for paying subscribers.
Mankind Divided is the headlining PS4 freebie this month. The dystopian cyberpunk role-playing game casts you as Adam Jensen and tasks you with catching a terrorist group, which you can do by being a stealthy detective or a tech-enhanced killing machine, or some mixture of both.
As for Telltale's Batman game, this is the first season of the story and puts players in tricky situations as both Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego. The decisions you make will have some consequence on the relationships around you, and the overall story.
Other PS4 freebies in January include the wacky and fun party game That's You! (if you're outside of North America) and StarBlood Arena (which requires PlayStation VR). Additionally, PS Vita's free games, Uncanny Valley and Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness, are both free on PS4, too. You may have to "purchase" Psycho-Pass on PS4 and PS Vita separately, however, since it is not normally part of Sony's Cross-Buy scheme. Note that in Europe and Australia, Psycho-Pass is only free on PS Vita, not PS4. Finally, PS3 owners get Sacred 3 and The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for free.
You can see January 2018's full PS Plus lineup--covering PS4, PS3, and Vita--below, or you can claim them on the PlayStation Store. February's games have not yet been announced, but that news will likely be coming on January 31.
We're now well past the midway point of January, meaning two more free Xbox games for January 2018 have gone live on the Microsoft Store. Xbox One owners with an active Xbox Live Gold subscription can pick up both titles, while one of them is also playable on Xbox 360.
On Xbox One, it's the zombie-slaying action game Zombi that's free, which is the updated version of Wii U launch game ZombiU. Those on Xbox 360 can pick up co-op action game Army of Two, which is also playable on Xbox One through backwards compatibility.
Ubisoft has rolled out the latest update for Rainbow Six Siege this week, and it's a significant one. The 4.2 patch, which serves as the Mid-Season Reinforcement patch for the current season, is now live on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, introducing a variety of buffs and nerfs to individual Operators.
As detailed earlier this month, patch 4.2 primarily deals with balance changes. Concussion effects are being reduced, and they'll no longer disable sprinting, a change that impacts both Ela and Zofia. Ela also takes a hit to the magazine size of her SMG, which drops from 50 to 40 bullets. Ash also sees a nerf to the damage done by her R4-C, while Twitch's Shock Drone ammo drops significantly, from 15 to 5. Additionally, Bandit gets one fewer barbed wire to deploy.
It's not bad news for everyone. Lesion's Gu mines will now refill more quickly, and Capitao's Para-308 sees a damage boost. Ubisoft previously explained why it's making all of these changes, but as you'd expect, it largely boils down to feeling certain characters were over- or underpowered.
Outside of balance changes, Ubisoft has released improvements to the Caster Camera. It's also added a new animation icon for when a teammate is disabling the Defuser. Perhaps more importantly, once the Defuser is placed, its progress is displayed in place of the round timer. Ubisoft said it plans to continue improving the Bomb mode and will share more details in the future.
The update is now available on all platforms. You can check out the full patch notes here. Ubisoft has already confirmed another year of content for Siege--the Year Three season pass is up for sale--but specifics on new maps or Operators have not been announced.
Rockstar Games has announced all the new content, events, and sales in GTA Online this week. Starting with the new content, the Ubermacht Revolter luxury car is now in the online game and available to purchase from Legendary Motorsport.
The slick-looking car is a deadly beast, featuring a machine gun on the front to keep enemies at bay like something out of James Bond. The fictional car's tagline is "Looks for the red carpet, power for when the deal goes south."
Also in GTA Online this week, you can earn double GTA$ and RP for the new Adversary multiplayer mode Air Quota, which was added last week. Up to four teams and 16 players face off and transform through a series of aircraft, from helicopters to jets to jetpacks. Additionally, GTA Online players can earn double bonuses in every Rockstar-made Stunt and Land race through January 29.
As for the sales and discounts, various MKII upgrades and customization options are on sale this week (see below). Additionally, the Warstock Cache & Carry store is holding a 25% off sale on two vehicles: the Benefactor Turreted Limo and the HVY APC amphibious tank.
Mk II Upgrades – 30% off (cost to upgrade to Mk II weapon)
Mk II Magazines – 25% off
Mk II Scopes – 25% off
Mk II Muzzles – 25% off
Mk II Weapon Liveries – 25% off
Finally, this week's Premium Race in GTA Online is Tube Rider with the Ruiner 2000 vehicle, while the Time Trial event is "Coast to Coast." As usual, if you finish in the top three in the Premium Race you'll get an allotment of GTA$, while every participant earns triple RP no matter where they finish. For the Time Trial, beating the average time will earn you double GTA$ and RP.
No comments:
Post a Comment