September 2020

Destiny 2: Beyond Light will introduce three new sub-classes when it launches in November, with each power-up focusing on assisting other players and controlling the flow of combat. Hunters can access the Revenant sub-class and Titans can tap into the power of Behemoths, while Warlocks will be able to channel the Stasis energies of Shadebinders.

Bungie revealed in a blog post more details on the new Warlock subclass, which specializes in the art of immobilizing enemies and then shattering them with Stasis energy. Warlocks can also wield a Stasis staff that fires energy projectiles or get up close and personal with enemies, freezing them in place with Penumbral Blast melee attacks.

Stasis sub-classes will also have an exclusive benefit in the form of Aspects and Fragments. Aspects are class-specific physical items that can be slotted into your inventory. Once equipped, Aspects will unlock new abilities, that can also be freely mixed and matched. Fragments, which aren't locked to specific classes, can be added to these Aspects and offer passive perks at the cost of a stat penalty.

Madden NFL 21, the latest entry in EA's NFL-based sports franchise, released on August 28 to mixed critical reviews, but the fans are undivided in their anger towards the game. A slew of bad reviews on GameSpot sister site Metacritic have pushed Madden 21 to a 0.4/10 user score, the worst of any video game on the site.

Fans of NFL have long been critical of EA's Madden series, which holds the exclusive license to produce NFL simulation games. According to a report by Sporting News, fans got the hashtag #NFLDropEA trending in a plea to get the license picked up by a new developer. Some have accused EA of getting lazy, with the lack of competition meaning there is little motivation to keep improving a generally solid base game.

As with past releases, Madden 21 has launched full of bugs, many of which have been shared on Twitter.

Early last year, Samsung announced the original Samsung Galaxy Z Fold with an eye-watering $1980 price tag. Now that the Fold 2 has been announced, Samsung has rounded up, selling the second edition of its folding phone for an even $2000 (well, $1999 to be precise).

The device was revealed at the recent Unpacked Part 2 event, as detailed by GameSpot sister site CNET, after first being announced at last month's event alongside the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. The new phone includes a number of improvements on its predecessor, including an improved hinge design and display, as well as the addition of 5G functionality.

While $2000 is a lot for a phone, rivaling the price of a decent gaming PC, it's not as bad as it could be, as CNET points out. When compared to the price of last year's Galaxy Z Fold, the new edition is only $20 more expensive, and includes some decent upgrades. The Fold 2 is a refinement on the original, addressing most of the concerns raised by early adopters of the first model.

A conscientious objector

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Buy a flight stick or use your controller?

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MUT’s onboarding challenges are a fun and easy way to familiarize yourself with a deep mode

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A perfect screenshot

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This should help more pilots get aboard

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Two small changes create an entirely new reality

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Post Void is teeny-tiny, but drenched in style

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I've already dedicated an entire article to Resident Evil 7 getting added to Xbox Game Pass, so I probably can't justify doing that again. Fortunately, there are plenty of other gems lined up to join the Bakers and the Molded.

Yesterday, Paradox's feudal legacy simulator Crusader Kings III launched and was immediately included in Xbox Game Pass. That's one that's well worth checking out. Sticking with the strategic angle, Raw Fury's tactical RPG Star Renegades releases on September 8 and is another day one addition to Game Pass.

Elsewhere, the second and third acts in Dontnod's Tell Me Why are lined up for the next two Thursdays. More nebulously, Destiny 2 and its expansions join Xbox Game Pass "soon," but being a part of this list probably means it'll happen before mid-September. (It's also worth remembering that Destiny's November add-on, Beyond Light, is also coming to Game Pass at launch.)

Oh, and Resident Evil 7 is making its way to Xbox Game Pass too. Not sure if that one has been mentioned yet.

Here's what Microsoft has lined up for Xbox Game Pass for the next two weeks:

It's more of that neon-city cyberpunk action that's hot with all the kids right now. All-In! Games has released a new trailer for its futuristic first-person adventure Ghostrunner, which launches on PS4, PC, and Xbox One later in 2020.

In a dystopian future, entire cities are stacked vertically in gargantuan towers, where the people are ruled over by the tower's richest, most powerful, or most ruthless occupants. In Ghostrunner, players must scale the world's last remaining city, Dharma Tower, in order to take down its keymaster, Mara, and free the city's populace from their violent and oppressive rule... Not unlike Pete Travis' excellent 2012 movie, Dredd.

The PlayStation Store is running an Essential Picks sale on PS4 games, and it's an early chance to save a bit on The Last of Us Part II ($49.99) if you're up for a long, draining, ultimately impressive adventure.

Other essentials include Dreams ($29.99), Days Gone ($21.99), Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds ($4.99), Uncharted 4 ($14.99), Marvel's Spider-Man GOTY ($19.99), and God of War ($14.99). You also shouldn't miss WipEout Omega Collection ($9.99) even if you've never tried the anti-grav racing series.

For all of its divisiveness, Marvel's Avengers is shaping up to be a huge success for Square Enix. After running a three-weekend beta test that was initially PS4-focused before opening up on PC and Xbox One, the publisher says Avengers was "globally the most-downloaded beta in PlayStation history."

That milestone makes sense on a few fronts.

Marvel's Avengers is undeniably rough around the edges, but the underlying idea – a big-budget take on the Avengers that lets people team up with their friends – has so much raw mainstream appeal. Add in the messy games-as-a-service angle, the loot-based progression, the beta's timing, and the play-first-on-PlayStation push, and it's not surprising that millions of players wanted to dip their toes in on PS4.

It's one of those betas that people downloaded even if they had no confidence they'd buy the full game. It benefited from high visibility (as a Marvel IP) and widespread curiosity ("Is it actually fun to play?").

For my part, I have no intention of getting Marvel's Avengers on launch day (to say nothing of the current paid Early Access period), but I do intend to play it in 2020 after a round of patches. That's progress!

Where are you at with Avengers?

@SquareEnix [Twitter]

CyberConnect 2's Hiroshi Matsuyama said a .hack//G.U. Last Recode port idea was appealing, but Bandai Namco was not able to make it happen.

The post CyberConnect 2 CEO Called a .hack//G.U. Last Recode Switch Port ‘Appealing’ appeared first on Siliconera.

Spiritfarer is an exceptional and extraordinary adventure from Thunder Lotus, and its execution is exemplary.

The post Review: Spiritfarer Is a Moving Game About Moving Lost Souls appeared first on Siliconera.

New York ravaged by a pandemic isn’t quite the jaunty thought experiment it was when The Division launched in 2016. If you’re not too wracked with existential dread at the prospect, then there’s a free game in it for you. The Division is free for keeps on Uplay until September 8th if you log in with your Ubisoft account to claim it.

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Even though we don't know exactly when it is coming out (or how much it costs), every day brings us closer to the November release of the Xbox Series X. With the looming launch, gamers are eager for any new information, and we look forward to any event that might provide it. But if you were counting on Microsoft's presence at the Tokyo Game Show's virtual showcase to be the next big step, you shouldn't get your hopes up. 

On Twitter and in a blog post, Microsoft clarified that the TGS event won't have any new next-gen news. It is smart of Microsoft to set these expectations early so viewers aren't disappointed – but that doesn't mean Microsoft's segment isn't worth checking out.  A celebration of Japanese game creators and content related to Minecraft and Flight Simulator still sounds interesting.

Tokyo Game Show 2020 was canceled due to the global pandemic, so this virtual event is taking the place of the in-person event traditionally held at Makuhari Messe.

If we've learned anything from Marvel's comics and cinematic universe, it's that the world is always expanding. New villains are always emerging and new heroes are always swooping in to stop them. Crystal Dynamics is taking this same approach with its game starring Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Marvel's Avengers launched with six playable characters, but that's far from all the heroes we'll be able to take control of when it's all said and done. Crystal Dynamics has said that all playable characters will be added at no additional cost, but additional upgrades for those characters could cost money.

Check out all the characters you can play as in Marvel's Avengers, as well as all the heroes still to come.

Ms. Marvel

Following a disaster in the opening of the game, Kamala Khan discovers new powers that allow her to grow and stretch her body in ways that help her fend off enemies and traverse the environment in unique ways. As the main character of Marvel's Avengers, her goal is to reassemble the outlawed hero team to once again save the world.

The PC version of Black Desert Online is soon going to get another expansive version to explore, named O’dyllita.

The new region was announced all the way back in March and it’s finally making its way to the live servers next month, on October 7.

As usual, the update will be free for all players. Here’s how the developer describes the new region and the challenges it brings.

“As appropriate for its dark reputation, O’dyllita has some of the most difficult areas currently in the game and will mark a true challenge for any adventurers that journey there. In many ways, O’dyllita is the dark mirror of the earlier released Kamasylvia region. Instead of the noble elves of that region, O’dyllita is mostly inhabited by the Ahib, who were exiled by their brethren ages ago.

When the Ahib first arrived in the region, they found the ruins of an ancient kingdom named Orzeca and using a branch they brought from the sacred Kamasylvian tree, they grew their own Thornwood Tree named Turasil. Players that play through the O’dyllita content will be introduced to this story and more while uncovering the secrets of this mysterious land. 

Ambitious players will be rewarded with Blackstar Armor for braving the dangers of O’dyllita, a powerful new suit of armor. By collecting materials in the various areas of O’dyllita players can start working on the long but rewarding journey towards completing and improving this new armor set that will surely make them the envy of their fellow adventurers. “

On top of that, the new Hashashin class has been released on the PC version.