State of Decay 2 is on the way this spring and will carry a lower-than-expected price tag. Those looking to spend more than the $30 price of the standard edition will have some options for doing so, including the previously announced Ultimate edition and a newly revealed Collector's edition.
As shared on the Xbox Wire, the Collector's edition gets you some physical goodies: It comes with a latex zombie mask, a steelbook case, a stand for the case in the shape of a human brain, a 4 GB USB thumb drive in the shape of a severed thumb, and an "exclusive" iron-on patch.
What isn't immediately is whether this Collector's Edition, which is priced at $70, includes the game itself. Microsoft's announcement doesn't explicitly state this, and it wouldn't be the first time we've seen such a thing. If it is included, there's no word on which version of the game you get, whether it'll by physical or digital (the case may just be for show), and whether Xbox One and PC versions will both be available. The physical/digital distinction is particularly important, as those who buy the game digitally will benefit from Xbox Play Anywhere support, which grants access to the game on both Xbox One and PC. We've followed up with Microsoft about all of this and will report back with any details we receive.
We know you'll get the game when buying the $30 standard edition or $50 Ultimate edition. The latter provides access to the Independence and Daybreak DLC packs when they release, an Xbox One copy of State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition, and early access to State of Decay 2. As an alternative to purchasing the game outright, you can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, which will grant you access to the game for as long as you remain a subscriber. That comes as part of Microsoft's recent initiative to provide access to first-party exclusives through Game Pass at launch, something that will begin with the upcoming launch of Sea of Thieves.
State of Decay 2 launches on May 22, or May 18 for those picking up the Ultimate edition. Although the budget price of the standard edition may suggest otherwise, the game will not include any microtransactions.
Burnout Paradise Remastered, the updated version of EA's beloved 2008 racing game, is coming out on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on March 16. But if you have an Xbox One and are an EA Access subscriber, you can play right now.
The game's "Play First" Trial is available now on Xbox One. It lets you play the full game for 10 hours, and it is a relatively small (by today's standards) download at 7.66 GB. All progress carries forward, so if you buy the full game after the 10 hours is up, you thankfully do not need to start again. Additionally, EA Access members save 10 percent on all EA digital content, so the $40 game becomes $36 right away.
Burnout Paradise Remastered, which was only just announced at the end of February, including the full game as you remember it, along with its eight expansions. This includes the open-world Big Surf Island expansion and the Legendary Cars pack, which adds vehicles from movies like Back to the Future and Ghostbusters.
The new edition includes technical enhancements that include "high resolution textures" and 4K / 60 FPS support for PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. It costs US $40 / £35 / AU $48.
Sony has revealed the list of best-selling games on the PlayStation Store for February 2018. While last month saw the release of a couple of highly anticipated titles, including Shadow of the Colossus and Kingdom Come: Deliverance, the sales charts were once again dominated by Monster Hunter World.
Capcom's online action-RPG was the best-selling PS4 game on the US PlayStation Store for the second month in a row. Bluepoint's Shadow of the Colossus remake debuted at No. 3, while Kingdom Come landed at No. 9. The rest of the top ten was generally comprised of sports games, notably NBA Live 18, FIFA 18, Madden NFL 18, and EA Sports UFC 3, but Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege came in at No. 7, while Dragon Ball FighterZ and Gang Beasts landed at No. 8 and No. 10, respectively.
Across the pond, FIFA 18 edged out Monster Hunter World to be crowned February's best-selling PSN game in Europe, with the ridiculous beat-'em-up Gang Beasts following at No. 3. The perennially popular Grand Theft Auto V and Shadow of the Colossus rounded out the top five, while Kingdom Come debuted at No. 6.
Once again, in lieu of the month's best-selling DLC, Sony has shared a list of the most-downloaded free-to-play on the PlayStation Store, and it was, unsurprisingly, topped by Fortnite: Battle Royale, Epic's incredibly popular PUBG-style shooter. Following at No. 2 and No. 3 were Brawlhalla and Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 Lite, respectively, while Warframe and Paladins rounded out the top five.
Another of February's releases, the adorable Moss, was the No. 7 best-selling PSVR game in the US, while the Secret of Mana remake was the No. 1 Vita release. You can see the top 10 most downloaded PS4 and free-to-play games for February 2018 below. For a full look at the month's best-selling titles, check out the US and European PlayStation Blogs.
February 2018's Best-Selling PS4 Games On PSN In The US
Monster Hunter World
NBA Live 18: The One Edition
Shadow of the Colossus
FIFA 18
Madden NFL 18
EA Sports UFC 3
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Gang Beats
February 2018's Top Free-To-Play PSN Games In The US
This played out over Twitter this weekend. Someone asked Spencer if there would be cross-play, saying they would really like to see the feature added. "Me 2," Spencer said. Later in the thread, Epic jumped in to voice its own support, exclaiming "We 3!"
Epic is bringing the massively popular Fortnite: Battle Royale to iOS and Android devices, but before the game officially launches on mobile, some iOS users will have a chance to try it out early. Sign-ups for an invite-only trial are now open on Epic's official website.
Both iOS and Android users can sign up for the trial, but only those with the former devices will be able to participate for the time being; Epic says Android support will follow "in the next few months." Players will need an internet connection and an iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, iPad Pro, or a newer Apple device with iOS 11 in order to play the game.
If you're selected to take part in the test, you'll receive an email that contains a link to download the mobile version of Fortnite: Battle Royale shortly after signing up, as well as codes to share with your friends. Even if you aren't initially chosen to participate, you'll still have a chance to get in at a later date. Epic says it will send out more invites "as the servers can handle more players."
Epic says the mobile version of Fortnite: Battle Royale will be the same 100-player experience currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will boast the "same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates," Epic explained in a forum post on its website. "We believe this is the future of games. The same game on all platforms. Console quality graphics and action. Play when you want, where you want."
Along with featuring the same content, the mobile version of Fortnite: Battle Royale will also support cross-play and cross-progression between PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, iOS, and (eventually) Android. Players will have the option to opt-in for cross-play and squad up with their friends on other platforms, meaning you won't be forced into teaming up with someone on mobile if you're on console or PC.
This episode of New Releases has sequels, remasters, and some new stuff. Leading off, the pink puffball's newest adventure Kirby Star Allies is headed to Nintendo Switch. Puzzle fans can solve their way through Q.U.B.E. 2, and sim fans can build a city on the red planet with Surviving Mars. For those looking to play the definitive versions of past games, you can slash and shoot through the Devil May Cry HD Collection or speed around Burnout Paradise City Remastered.
Devil May Cry HD Collection -- March 13
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC
This week's first re-release contains the original Devil May Cry trilogy, so if you haven't played through them on an older console, this is the best possible way to catch up. Thanks to 60 FPS support, Dante never looked so good slaying the beasts of Hell.
For those that prefer a more methodical pace, there's Q.U.B.E. 2. This game sees archeologist Amanda Cross stranded on a strange alien island, and the only way to escape is to solve puzzles. The titular cubes will help you find your way through mazes, flip switches, and move objects to reach safety.
Speaking of alien planets, Surviving Mars is all about colonizing one. This city-builder comes from the studio behind Cities: Skylines and Hearts of Iron, so you'll definitely have to strategize and spread your resources if you hope to survive so far from home.
Nintendo's pink mascot has a new game, and it's all about working together, even if you're playing alone. That means four-player co-op is included, but you can also use the new heart mechanic to bring enemies over to your side if you don't have a full party. Of course, the real treat here is seeing an insanely buff King Dedede.
Back on earth, this week's second re-release is Burnout Paradise Remastered. You'll be able to race through the best-looking version of the city yet, with 4K support for drivers on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. This remaster also includes every previously released DLC pack, laying even more challenges along the road.
Fortnite: Battle Royale is immensely popular, and it's growing bigger still. The game has truly broken out, becoming popular beyond gaming circles alone. The latest example of this comes in the form of celebrations from National Rugby League (NRL) players in Australia, among other sports leagues.
The first weekend of NRL just wrapped up, and, amazingly, three players--on three separate teams--each celebrated tries by imitating a popular animation from Fortnite. Check out the clips below to see players like Josh Dugan of the Cronulla Sharks and Blake Ferguson of the Sydney Roosters pretending to bandage themselves up as one does in Fortnite. New Zealand Warriors player Bunty Afoa did this as well.
Kotaku AU, which spotted the celebrations, wonders if the three players are squadmates and coordinated their celebrations this weekend. That does seem possible.
Whatever the case, Fortnite has become something of a phenomenon. Seemingly more of the talk and buzz surrounding the battle royale genre lately is about Fortnite rather than PUBG, the game that inspired it. We've even begun to wonder if PUBG could be in trouble as a result.
Beyond the rugby scene, soccer players have also taken to Fortnite-inspired celebrations. That includes finishing off a player with the pickaxe and generally swinging that pickaxe around. You can see both of those celebrations in the videos below (via SB Nation).
A new update is on the way to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Starting tonight, March 12, at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET (3 AM CET on March 13), developer PUBG Corp. will take the PC servers down for roughly three hours as it performs maintenance and moves the current test build over to the live game.
This marks the seventh major update PUBG has received since leaving early access back in December, and it introduces a number of new features to the game, such as the previously announced emote system. Following the update, players will be able to use 12 different emotes; PUBG Corp. says it will further expand the system with more emotes in the future.
Additionally, the developer has added 37 new Achievements on Steam. PUBG Corp. has also introduced a friends list; this is independent from your Steam friends list and allows you to add up to 50 other players as friends. You also now have the ability to voice chat with your teammates while in the main menu.
Beyond those new features, the update fixes a number of bugs, including one that would cause players to instantly die when vaulting or climbing. PUBG Corp. has also made further optimization changes to ensure the game runs more smoothly.
"With this patch, we are bringing various optimizations to our server and client," PUBG Corp. wrote in a post on Steam. "We have mitigated lag and stutter instances and alleviated frame drop and lag occurrences happening when players are pushed together, starting from the second half of a match, or in dynamic situations, like intense firefights. This has allowed for a smoother environment to play in, than before."
You can find the full patch notes for the update on Steam. PUBG creator Brendan Greene recently shared the development roadmap for the game, outlining some of the new features coming in the next few months. These include a new, smaller island map and improved animations.
Valve has announced a major revamp of Dota 2's Battle Passes. In the past, these have taken the form of limited-time compendiums that centered around major Dota 2 esports tournaments, including The International and Majors. However, Battle Passes for Majors are now being replaced with what Valve describes as an "ongoing, uninterrupted service" called Dota Plus.
Dota Plus is a subscription service that features a variety of perks, some of which stem from what you'd expect to see in a Battle Pass. Each character now gains XP and can level up across games, granting Reward Shards and responses for use with the new Hero Chat Wheel. Additionally, characters get their own challenges that are designed for that specific hero and their mechanics; challenges feature different tiers of difficulty and reward XP based on what you complete. And characters also get Relic slots; these allow various stats to be tracked and display on the post-game screen.
The service also grants access to the Plus Assistant, a tool that provides various helpful information as you play based on "data gathered from millions of recent games at each skill bracket, ensuring your builds stay current in the ever-evolving meta." This includes suggestions for your pick during a draft or what item or ability to choose during a match.
Furthermore, Dota Plus grants a new weekly reward of 1,000 shards for winning three games. Those shards can then in turn be spent on, among other things, new items that are only available for Plus subscribers. Finally, Valve is bringing back the weekend Battle Cup tournaments, which Plus members will receive free access to. Non-subscribers will have to buy tickets for $1.
Despite having only just been announced, Dota Plus is already available. It's priced at $4 per month, with some small discounts available if you lock in a subscription for six or 12 months.
Those in the market for a new PC game to play are in luck, as GOG has kicked off its St. Patrick's Day sale. More than 300 games in total are on sale, with discounts as steep as 90% off. And if you're not quite sure what to pick up, there's a perfect option for you, too.
Alongside the individual games that are on sale, GOG is offering what it calls Leprechaun Hats. Each one costs $3 / £2.29 and entitles you to a mystery game that you don't already have in your GOG library. There's no telling what you'll get, but these games are drawn from the pool of those that are currently on sale. Their sale price ranges from $3.49 up to $19.94, so no matter what, you'll be saving at least a small amount of money by picking it up by way of a Hat--though you of course run the risk of getting something you don't care for.
If you'd prefer to leave chance out of it, there are some quality offers available. You can pick up Abzu for $10 / £7.49, Yooka-Laylee for $13.59 / £12, Dying Light: The Following's Enhanced Edition for $30 / £20, and Pyre for $15. Both Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and KotOR II go for $4 / £3 each--an outstanding price for such games, though it's no lower than what we've seen before. A number of other Star Wars games are also on sale, and you can build a bundle with the ones of your choice.
The sale runs from now until March 19 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET (12 AM GMT on March 20). You can see everything that's on sale here.
When the original Scribblenauts launched in 2009, it was unlike any game we had seen before. The developers at 5th Cell compiled a database containing thousands of objects, from cute animals to nuclear weapons, and created puzzles that you had to solve by summoning these objects and using their particular characteristics to your advantage. GameSpot reviewer Tom Mc Shea said at the time that "there are very few games in which the biggest obstacle that stands between you and success is the limitation of your own imagination."
A trio of follow-up games appeared in subsequent years, including one based on a crossover with DC Comics properties like Wonder Woman and Batman, titled Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure. These games followed a similar formula to the original Scribblenauts, and if you've played them all up until this point, you might expect more of the same from Scribblenauts Showdown.
Before you get too excited, there's an important change to be aware of: Showdown is a collection of very basic multiplayer mini-games, with a small selection of puzzles relegated to a sandbox mode. This shift may have something to do with the fact that the game was developed by Shiver Entertainment, marking the first game in the series to be developed by a team other than 5th Cell, following the cancellation of Scribblenauts: Fighting Words back in 2016.
In the video above, we run through the new game on Nintendo Switch, which leaves a lot to be desired; it doesn't even have support for Nintendo's Pro Controller. It's very short on content overall and the mini-games are sadly far too simple to have lasting appeal.It's disappointing to see the previous games' potential left unexplored. Scribblenauts deserves better.
The real March madness is how much binging you'll be doing with everything new coming to Netflix. The streaming service is going all out with its March additions, including a ton of new originals, along with more movies, TV shows, and specials.
While there are over 50 originals being added to the streamer in March, there are two you need to pay very special attention to. Firstly, the new season of Marvel's Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter is back as the whiskey-drinking hero, along with co-stars Rachael Taylor (Trish) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Jeri Hogarth). Notably, David Tennant will also reprise his role as the evil Killgrave in a guest appearance. The new season of Jessica Jones arrived on March 8--International Women's Day.
The other major original to keep an eye out for is the return of Santa Clarita Diet--the horror comedy zombie series starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The first photos from the new season were released recently, showing new characters moving into the neighborhood and more undead insanity. New episodes of Santa Clarita Diet arrive on March 23.
As for movies, the Cruel Intentions trilogy--yes, it's actually a trilogy--will begin streaming in March. Other new titles include Adventureland, Jackass: Number Two, Wet Hot American Summer, and Let Me In.
It's not all good news, though. With the arrivals come the departures. March will see all four Jaws films leave Netflix, as well as three seasons of Brickleberry and the Santa Clause trilogy.
Another batch of free games for PlayStation Plus members has arrived. Although this month's lineup is no different from the average one in terms of total games, there are some excellent titles to be had across PS4, PS3, and Vita.
Alongside that, Ratchet & Clank is also free right now. This is the most recent entry in Insomniac's long-running platforming series, although it's technically not an original game. It's based in part on the animated film, which itself was based on the original Ratchet & Clank game.
That's not it for PS4 owners, who will receive a total of five games this month thanks to Cross-Buy. Both games available on Vita, Claire: Extended Cut and Bombing Busters, are free on Plus, as is one of the two PS3 games, Mighty No. 9. PS3 owners also get their hands on Legend of Kay.
On Xbox 360, you can pick up Brave: The Video Game completely free. Based on the Pixar movie of the same name, the Brave video game puts you into the role of Merida in mythical Scotland. The game, which plays on Xbox One through backwards compatibility, also incorporates motion controls through the Kinect camera.
You can download Trials of the Blood Dragon and Brave: The Video Game now on your Xbox console or through the Xbox.com links here: Trials of the Blood Dragon; Brave.
Trials of the Blood Dragon is free on Xbox One throughout all of March, while Brave: The Video Game is free until March 15. Then on March 16, Xbox One owners can grab the first-person shooter Superhot for free, while the puzzle-platformer Quantum Conundrum will go free on Xbox 360 (and Xbox One) on that date. Also note that one of February's free Xbox One Games With Gold titles, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India, will stay free until March 15.
Diablo 3 has gotten its own StarCraft-themed goodie in celebration of the space strategy's 20th anniversary. You can now claim a pet called Dominion's Revenge, a Battlecruiser given a very red, black, and gold paint-job. To receive the special pet, just log in to the game and load up a character, and you'll automatically receive an achievement that grants the pet as a reward.
The Diablo love is just one of several in-game promotional items across Blizzard's games to ring in StarCraft's 20th anniversary coming on March 31. Others include portraits and decals in StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2, a Kerrigan skin for Widowmaker in Overwatch, a special Tavern Brawl in Hearthstone on March 21, anniversary portraits in Heroes of the Storm on March 27, and special StarCraft pets in World of Warcraft. Presumably the Diablo 3 pet is only available for a limited time, as many of these goodies expire around the end of the month.
Last year, Blizzard announced it would be releasing the original classic StarCraft for free, as well as producing a 4K remastered version. Both of those became available last year. The studio has a tendency to use all of the games in its small but potent catalogue to promote each other when special events or game releases come around.
This comes just as word has it that Diablo 3 may be coming to a new platform. The report claims that Diablo 3 is headed to the Switch, though an official announcement is still purportedly months away. Blizzard raised suspicions with a tweet that showed a Diablo nightlight being switched on and off, but later claimed this was merely a "fun community engagement piece." This wouldn't be Diablo 3's first time ported to a popular platform, as it was a PC exclusive in 2012 before being ported to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013, then to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2014.
Epic Games has announced that its Battle Royale game, Fortnite, will be updated to support "cross-play, cross-progression, and cross-purchase" between the Xbox One, PC, Mac, and iOS versions of the game. Furthermore, support for these features will be added to the Android versions "in the next few months."
"Contrary to what may have been implied, Microsoft has long been a leading voice in supporting cross-platform play, connecting players across PC, mobile and all consoles," reads a post on the Epic Games website. "We've been working together with them over the last several months to make this possible, and will bring this functionality to Fortnite players on Xbox right along with other platforms."
It continues: "With each new platform we support and every update we ship, we strive to bring Fortnite to more people, and make it easier to play together with friends. And, as always, cross-play is opt in."
Fortnite has been available on Xbox One and PC for some time now, but mobile versions of Fortnite were announced on March 10. According to Epic, Fortnite mobile is "the same 100-player game you know from Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Mac" with the "same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates."
The announcement follows previous confirmation that, thanks to a partnership with Sony, Fortnite will support cross-play and cross-progression between PS4, PC, Mac, iOS, and (eventually) Android. Sign-ups for Fortnite's mobile version will open on March 12 and there will be an invite-only test on iOS and Android "in the next few months."
Those that are selected to participate will receive an invite by email shortly after signing up. More invites will be sent out over the coming months, so if you don't get in right away, there will be more opportunities later. If you do get in, you'll also get codes to share with friends.
PUBG, which is considered as the main inspiration for Fortnite: Battle Royale, also has a mobile edition--but it's only available in China and it does not support cross-play. PUBG is also not available on PS4, which could explain Sony's apparent eagerness to partner with Epic for Fortnite: Battle Royale.
Although the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Fortnite can't currently connect, we do know it is possible. In fact, it happened for a weekend, but the functionality was turned off and chalked up to an error.
Fortnite has gained ground on PUBG in a big way recently, which could spell trouble for the latter. Check out the video above to see GameSpot's Mike Mahardy, Michael Higham, Nick Margherita, and Jake Dekker discuss the current state of PUBG and whether it needs to evolve to stay competitive with Fortnite.
It's a new week, and that means more deals on Xbox Live. Microsoft's Major Nelson has announced all of this week's Deals With Gold offers for Xbox One and Xbox 360, which include a special "Spotlight" sale on a bunch of Square Enix games.
Go to Major Nelson's blog to see a full rundown of this week's Xbox One and Xbox 360 deals, some of which require an Xbox Live Gold membership to save the most. The offers are good through March 12. The pricing and timing of these deals may vary depending on where you live.
Fortnite has kicked off Season 3 of its Battle Royale mode on PC, PS4, Xbox One, with a bunch of new rewards to boot. That also means a new set of Weekly Challenges to complete, and we've compiled them all below.
Keep in mind you do need a Battle Pass to access the weekly challenges, but they don't necessarily need to be completed before the weekly reset. As long as you finish them within the season, they'll count. The reset occurs every Thursday at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET.
Week 3
Harvest building resources with a pickaxe - 3000 total, 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Suppressed Weapons to opponents - 500 total, 5 Battle Stars
The Snobby Shores location, in particular, can be a little vexing. Fortunately you don't actually need to follow (or even have) the treasure map as long as you know the location, and the Fortnite subreddit has laid that out already.
As always, you can grab the new Battle Pass for 950 V-Bucks. That allows you to unlock items like outfits, gliders, emotes, and more. This season added 30 more tiers to the Battle Pass, bringing the total number up to 100. The Season 3 Battle Pass includes 76 new items, such as loading screens, skydiving effects trails, pickaxes, and more. Check out our gallery of Battle Pass rewards for a better look.
Below you can see the previous week's challenges, which are still active for the remainder of the season.
Week 1
Deal damage with Pistols to opponents - 500 total, 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Pleasant Park - 7 total, 5 Battle Stars
Revive Players - 5 total, 5 Battle Stars
Visit a Llama, Fox, and a Crab - 3 total, 5 Battle Stars
Follow the treasure map found in Dusty Depot - 1 total, 10 Battle Stars
In addition to this month's free Legendaries for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, players can claim three more rare Pokemon right now for no charge, provided you have a Pokemon Bank account on 3DS. The Pokemon Company is giving away the final evolved forms of the Alola starters--Decidueye, Incineroar, and Primarina--as a free bonus for using Pokemon Bank, and these are a little different from the ones you can get in-game.
Unlike typical Alola starters, each of these Pokemon comes with their Hidden Abilities, which cannot normally be obtained in the games. Decidueye's Hidden Ability is Long Reach, which allows it to use moves without making contact; Incineroar's is Intimidate, which lowers your opponent's Attack stat on entering the battle; and Primarina has Liquid Voice, which turns all sound-based moves into Water-type attacks.
The free starters can be downloaded in any seventh-generation Pokemon game (Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon or Sun and Moon). After inserting your game of choice into the 3DS, access the Pokemon Bank app and you'll receive a notification that the gifts are available. You must then turn the game on and pick the starters up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
Pokemon Bank is a premium cloud storage service that allows players to store and move Pokemon between all sixth- and seventh-generation 3DS Pokemon games. The service carries an annual fee of $5 / £4.49. Fifth-generation Pokemon can also be transferred to Pokemon Bank via a companion app called Pokemon Transporter.
Pokemon fans have a lot of free Pokemon to look forward to this year as part of the Year of Legendary Pokemon celebration. Each month in 2018, The Pokemon Company will give away a free Legendary for the seventh-generation Pokemon games. March's freebies are Regigigas and Heatran. Players in Europe can download the Legendaries right now via Mystery Gift, but those in the US will receive their codes in the March Pokemon Trainer Club newsletter, which you needed to sign up for by March 1.
We may have a better idea of the future of Monster Hunter World very soon, as Capcom is planning a stream for later this week. It will take place in Japan on Wednesday at 4 AM PT / 7 AM ET.
Though the Japanese announcement doesn't specify the stream's focus, it does promise the "latest details" on Monster Hunter World, pointing to an impending announcement. This is marketed as a spring reveal stream, and we already know the studio is planning to release its first big content update this spring. That will introduce the insatiable beast Deviljho, but what else might be coming in that update is still under wraps. We've also seen speculation that the new monster is actually coming this Friday, in which case next week's stream might explain more of the roadmap going forward.
Capcom recently boasted that Monster Hunter World had fast become its best-selling game ever, though a closer look at the data produced some caveats. The company wasn't counting ports in the same pool with their predecessors, so games like Resident Evil 5 and RE6 actually beat it by a few million. Still, given that those numbers were compiled over the course of years and Monster Hunter has been out just over a month, it seems likely to take the trophy sooner or later.
Capcom has kicked off a new batch of Event Quests in Monster Hunter World. While this, sadly, means players can no longer get the awesome Wiggler helmet from the Wiggle Me This event (at least, unless it returns to the quest rotation), a slick new piece of headgear is now available in its place for a limited time.
From now until March 15, PS4 and Xbox One players can take on the Flash in the Pan Event Quest. This is a six-star quest that requires a Hunter Rank of 11 or higher. The objective for this particular mission is seemingly straightforward: hunt three Tzitzi-Ya-Ku.
Things only cool hunters do: ✅ Slide under monsters ✅ Last-minute dodge ✅ Hook shot wall run ✅ Rock the Shadow Shades α pic.twitter.com/FC5Lc7aCts
Completing the quest will reward you with materials to create the Shadow Shades α, a slick pair of sunglasses for your hunter. While they don't look like they'd be particularly helpful when you have a giant dinosaur bearing down on you, at least you'll look cool while running away. You can take a look at the shades in the tweet above.
In addition to the Flash in the Pan quest, this week marks the start of the Triple Threat Throwdown and A Simple Task Event Quests. The former requires a Hunter Rank of 13 or higher and has players hunt down all targeted monsters; the latter, meanwhile, requires a whopping Hunter Rank of 30, with the objective being to deliver 10 Gourmet Shroomcaps. You can find the full Monster Hunter World Event Quest schedule on the game's official website.
PS4 players also still have a little time left to take on the second Horizon Zero Dawn crossover quest, The Proving. That runs until March 15 and gives players materials to craft Aloy's bow and armor. You can find out exactly how to unlock the Horizon gear in our guide. Future collaborations will also allow players to craft Street Fighter armor and Mega Man Palico gear.
In other news, Capcom recently announced it will hold a Monster Hunter World stream next week in Japan. While the publisher didn't elaborate on what it will showcase during the stream, it does promise to share the "latest details" about Monster Hunter World. That could potentially include its first major content update, which introduces the ferocious Deviljho. Capcom has previously only said that update will arrive at some point this spring.
From now until March 15, players can embark on a new Event Quest called The Proving. This six-star mission requires a Hunter Rank of 11 or higher to accept, and it takes place in the Ancient Forest. The objective of the quest appears to be fairly straightforward--hunt an Anjanath--but this particular monster is much larger than the ones players have encountered in the game so far.
"Many captivating machines appear in Horizon Zero Dawn, but the one that made the biggest impression on the Monster Hunter: World development team was the Thunderjaw," Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto explained on the PlayStation Blog. "Anjanath has a very similar skeletal structure to the Thunderjaw, so we felt it was the best fit to be the main adversary in the quest, but not just any Anjanath would do. This Anjanath is at a scale that many players will have never before encountered, and your typical attacks may not reach its height."
Completing The Proving quest will reward you with materials that can be used to craft Aloy's Bow and armor set. Equipping the full set will change your hunter's appearance to resemble Aloy, regardless of your character's gender. You can find out exactly how to unlock Aloy's armor and bow in our guide. You can also take a look at some screenshots of the gear in the gallery above.
The first Horizon-themed Event Quest in Monster Hunter World, Lesson of the Wild, ran until February 8. If you missed out on that quest the first time around, you'll soon have another chance to get the Palico gear. Tsujimoto revealed that Event Quests operate on a "rotating schedule," so the Lesson of the Wild quest will return to the game again "at a later date."
In addition to the new Horizon Event Quest, some PS4 players can also still take part in Monster Hunter World's first Street Fighter V quest. Those who have a save file of Street Fighter V on their console can accept the Event Quest titled Down the Dark, Muddy Path, which will reward players with material to create a set of Ryu armor. That quest and a second one for Sakura armor will be available to all PS4 and Xbox One players at a later date.
Video game adaptations have a checkered history, which makes it easy to cast a skeptical eye on Tomb Raider, the latest take on the classic franchise. Even big-budget adaptations like Prince of Persia have fizzled, and other game adaptation are downright infamous.
In the above video, we take a closer look at all the elements that may set this one apart. As games have become more cinematic and told more personal stories, they've become a closer match for movies. Unlike the successful but campier Angelia Jolie films, this version of Tomb Raider is based on the gritty 2013 reboot. That makes this Lara a younger woman who finds herself out of her element and forced to survive against a hostile environment and even more hostile mercenaries.
To take on this role, the director tapped Alicia Vikander, most known for her roles in The Danish Girl and Ex Machina. Vikander talks about her training for the physicality of the role, which made liberal use of MMA fighters and giant mattresses. All that went into transforming the actress to believably take on the challenges her character was faced with. Finally, director Roar Uthuag gives his insights about how characterization is the key to avoiding the fate of so many other video game adaptations.
Our review is coming soon, but in the meantime, take a look at all that went into making this film--including a near shot-for-shot remake of one famous scene from the 2013 game. The movie will hit theaters on March 16.
While it's not exactly Call of Duty or Battlefield, the Far Cry series has become one of the biggest first-person shooter series in the industry. With its latest entry, Far Cry 5, set to release soon, we decided to look back at the franchise and how it got to where it is today.
In the video above, we run through the complete history of Far Cry. We start with the original, open-ended game from Crytek, the studio that would later go on to make the Crysis series. We look at the transition as Ubisoft Montreal took the reigns with the stellar Far Cry 2 and its many follow-ups--there have been quite a few Far Cry games, despite the fact that we're technically only up to Far Cry 5.
In many ways, Far Cry 3 firmly established the formula that the series still follows today; it was also the first to latch onto the tower-climbing of Assassin's Creed, introducing the climb-the-radio-tower mechanic used to unlock the in-game map. And who can forget Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, the bizarre spin-off that no one would have thought to ask for yet offered a brilliant, distilled Far Cry experience seeped in '80s action movie cheese?
Watch the video above for a trip down memory lane. There's not much longer to wait until the next entry in the series is here, as Far Cry 5 is due out on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 27. You can watch us chat about the somewhat confusing game in a recent video and read all about the confirmed DLC.
Sony has rolled out a new batch of game discounts on the US PlayStation Store. Two huge sales are now underway on PSN, offering some steep deals on a ton of Call of Duty and Square Enix titles across PS4, PS3, and Vita this week. [Update: This week's PSN sales are nearly over, making this your last opportunity to snag the following discounts from the US PlayStation Store before they're replaced by a new set of deals.]
First up is the Call of Duty Sale, which encompasses nearly every recent installment in the series, with PS Plus members saving an additional percentage off of each title. That includes Call of Duty: WWII; the game's Digital Deluxe Edition is available for $75 ($90 without a Plus subscription). Other PS4 highlights include Modern Warfare Remastered for $24 ($38), the Black Ops 3 - Zombies Chronicles bundle for $39 ($45), and Infinite Warfare for $19.79.
On top of those deals, Square Enix is holding its own major sale across all of Sony's consoles this week, although there are no bonus discounts for PS Plus members. PS4 owners can save on a couple of the publisher's most recent titles, including the Final Fantasy fighting game Dissidia Final Fantasy NT ($45) and the retro-inspired RPG Lost Sphear ($35). Additionally, the remastered PS2 classic Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is $30, while Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster is $12.49.
Most of the above deals will only be available until 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET on March 13. You can find some other notable deals that are available this week below. For the full list of games on sale right now, visit the PlayStation Store website.
In December, Spanish studio Numantian Games released They Are Billions in early access. It took the PC world by surprise, providing fantastic real-time strategy elements and a nuanced take on the seemingly endless horde of zombie games. By all accounts, we can't wait for its full release.
But it also got us thinking: what is the state of the real-time strategy genre? Is it really dying, as many might claim? Or has it been burgeoning under our noses, with excellent entries rounding out one of the most renowned genres in the PC space?
In the video above, Mike Mahardy takes a deep dive into the inner workings of They Are Billions, and how it continues the legacy of stellar RTS games such as Starcraft 2, Command & Conquer, and Age of Empires.
As it so often does, Twitch is offering another batch of free in-game goodies to Amazon Prime members, this time for Epic's popular shooter Fortnite. Right now, those with a Prime account will be able to claim the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack, which includes cosmetics and other items for both Battle Royale and Save the World modes.
The Twitch Prime Pack is redeemable on all platforms--PC, PS4, and Xbox One--and comes with two exclusive gliders and outfits for Battle Royale: the Havoc Outfit and Back Bling, plus the Sub Commander Outfit and Slipstream Glider. Additionally, users will receive four exclusive Twitch chat emoji and two heroes for Save the World: Havoc and Sub Commando Jonesy. You can take a look at some of the freebies below.
Twitch Prime regularly offers free items and games for Amazon Prime members, so anyone who's a subscriber to the premium service is able to take advantage of this offer. To grab the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack, simply click on the Prime Loot icon at the top of Twitch's homepage or visit Epic's official website for more details about how to claim the free items.
The Twitch Prime Pack isn't the only freebie that Fortnite players can get right now. PS Plus subscribers can also download the PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack on PS4, which includes an exclusive glider and outfit. You can grab the pack here. Meanwhile, the next free game for Twitch Prime members is the original Devil May Cry, is also available to download now after being temporarily delayed due to "unforeseen technical circumstances."
PUBG recently received a new update, adding additional anti-cheat measures to the PC edition of the game. Now, however, developer PUBG Corp. has removed the update, rolling the game back to its previous version due to "compatibility issues."
"Despite its effectiveness in blocking cheats, we have decided to roll back our latest live server update," the company stated in a blog post. "We will continue to resolve some compatibility issues caused by it. There will be a small patch to download. We apologize for the inconvenience."
The company did not state when or if the update would be re-applied following a potential fix. It's not the first issue the patch has run into; PUBG Corp. previously delayed the update because of an "unexpected issue." The more recent issues include hard crashes and being unable to launch the game at all, hence the rollback.
PUBG on Xbox One received a separate update recently that added Game DVR support and introduced additional starting areas for all players. Other gameplay changes include lower damage taken from objects such as rocks, trees, and uneven terrain. On top of that, squad member colours should now be more visible, and you can now use the right stick to rotate your character at the customisation menu.
Later this year, the battle royale title will expand with a new emote system, Achievements, an in-game friends list, and the ability to voice chat with your squad in the main menu. There's also a new PUBG map on the way, which you can try on the game's Experimental Test Server next month.
Sony's upcoming PS4 zombie game Days Gone has been delayed. Having originally been scheduled for this year, the survival game will now launch in 2019. "We can confirm that Days Gone will now be releasing in 2019 and we will keep you updated on the launch date," Sony told GameSpot. The company did not mention why the game has been delayed.
Sony Worldwide Studio president Shuhei Yoshida had previously stated the game would launch at some point in 2018, though it was not clear--and still isn't--at what point in the year that would be. Not much of the game has been shown off so far; audiences have simply seen a glimpse of the same section played during the day and at night.
State of Decay 2 will buck an industry trend and not feature any microtransactions, apparently. Jeff Strain, the studio head of developer Undead Labs, confirmed this to IGN in an interview. The story doesn't feature any quotes from Strain, but the report says "there won't be any microtransactions" in the zombie game.
This is notable because many games, from developers big and small, feature microtransactions as a way to pull in more money beyond the initial purchase price.
The original State of Decay for Xbox 360 features some microtransactions; one of these is the "Prepper's Pack" for 99 cents. It includes a gun, an SUV, and a melee weapon. While not a microtransaction per se, State of Decay also offered extra content to buy in the form of the Lifeline expansion (which was later bundled with the Year One Survival Edition for Xbox One).
There is no word on why Undead Labs is electing not to offer microtransactions in the sequel. But it may have something to do with the controversy around the business practice that re-emerged after Star Wars: Battlefront II last year.
State of Decay 2, which launches in May for Xbox One and PC, will also sell multiple DLC packs after launch, while those who pre-order will get "exclusive" items. The game's standard edition goes for $30, while the Ultimate Edition (which includes the expansions) will sell for $50. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be able to play State of Decay 2 at no extra cost, as all Microsoft-published games going forward will launch into the Xbox Game Pass library.
While State of Decay 2 may not feature any microtransactions, plenty of other games do, and the business practice is not going away. For lots more on everything you need to know about microtransactions, you can check out GameSpot's explainer here.
Recent Articles:
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment