January 2021

Cyberpunk 2077 modders are massively improving player customisation

3 years 3 months ago

In the world of Cyberpunk 2077, you can swap out your boring, run-of-the-mill human bones for an endoskeleton at the drop of a hat. It's so quick and painless, you won't even know it's happening. No, seriously: when you decide to install some cyberware at the Ripperdoc, almost nothing happens. The lack of a cutscene or appearance change for most of Cyberpunk 2077's cyberware has disappointed a fair number of players, myself included - and while visible changes appear with a couple of hand and arm mods, even these are fairly subtle. Where are the big red mechanical arms I was expecting? Why can't I have that NPC's robot legs?

Luckily, PC modders are here to help.

Over the last few weeks, modders on Nexus Mods have been hard at work opening up further customisation options for players, be it the ability to change your haircut and appearance mid-game, or access some of the fancy clothes normally locked to Night City's NPCs. There's even a way to get your hands on some Trauma Team gear. But the thing that excites me the most is this: modders have created several different ways for you to visibly modify your body.

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Kathy Rain: Director's Cut will revamp the adventure game

3 years 3 months ago

Kathy in jail in a Kathy Rain: Director's Cut screenshot.

2016’s point ‘n’ click adventure game Kathy Rain is returning this year with a new, rebuilt, expanded Director’s Cut. Along with more puzzles and chat, it’ll have touched-up looks and bonuses like controller support. I quite liked it, as far as I can remember, and have forgotten enough that I’m game for another go when the revamp arrives later this year.

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Author
Alice O'Connor

Naughty Dog Artist Debunks False Speculation About Unannounced Fantasy Game

3 years 3 months ago

A couple of days ago, fantasy-themed artwork by Naughty Dog Senior Concept artist Hyoung Taek Nam surfaced, triggering the usual charade of misleading speculation from various media outlets.

The art posted two months ago on the Artist’s official Artstation page featured a series of female characters in a fantasy setting with the mention “Inspire from new game. You know what I’m talking about…”

This was interpreted by many as some sort of tease or leak of a new game by Naughty Dog, despite the fact that it was fairly obvious that Hyoung Taek Nam meant that the art was simply inspired by a new game, which at the moment he opted not to name.

Apparently, the media hubbub prompted the artist to clarify and the text has been edited, revealing that this is indeed not art related to a new game by Naughty Dog, but inspired by Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which was “new” when the art was posted.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Microsoft Flight Simulator Singapore Changi Airport Released by Cloudsurf Asia

3 years 3 months ago

Today third-party add-on developer Cloudsurf Asia Simulations released a brand new airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator, and it’s a big one.

The new hub is Singapore Changi Airport (WSSS), rated in the real world as the best airport in the world and one of the most active airliner hotspots in all of Asia.

It can be found on SimMarket for roughly $15 plus VAT.

Below you can find a gallery of image and an official description and feature list.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Destruction AllStars Introduces Characters in Action-Packed Trailer

3 years 3 months ago

Destruction AllStars was initially supposed to launch in November 2020, but like many other games that year, its release was delayed. Its release is now right around the corner, so a new Destruction AllStars trailer has just been released introducing the game’s characters.

The car combat game is now launching on PS Plus in February, as stated in a PlayStation Blog post last October. It’s a PS5 exclusive that could possibly scratch that Twisted Metal itch that longtime PlayStation fans have had for years now.

Today’s trailer showcases the characters that players will be able to use as they tear up the arena in Destruction AllStars’ automotive mayhem. Each driver is presented with a title card alongside their respective vehicles, followed by some footage of their gameplay style.

The video also shows us each driver’s personality in small ways, from unique animations, to little quirks and car colors.

Check out the trailer below to see all of the Destruction AllStars characters for yourself in-game:

Author
Ethan Anderson

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Final Fantasy XIV’s Doman Mahjong Appears in Spin-Off of Popular Manga “Saki”

3 years 3 months ago

Today Square Enix announced that a rather specific feature of Final Fantasy XIV will be featured in the spin-off of a popular manga.

The Doman Mahjong minigame will appear in a side story of “Saki” by Ritz Kobayashi, usually serialized in Young Gangan.

The manga, which unsurprisingly focuses on Mahjong, is very popular in Japan. Not only it has been serialized for fifteen years since 2006 but it has spawned several anime series, TV dramas, and even live-action movies. It has sold over 10 million volumes over the course of its serialization.

The new spin-off will begin tomorrow (Jan. 22) on the Manga UP! app. It will actually be Saki’s 8th spin-off.

Below you can check out a scene from the manga featuring Final Fantasy XIV’s Doman Mahjong minigame.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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New Conor McGregor Update Coming to UFC 4 Ahead of This Weekend’s Big Rematch

3 years 3 months ago

UFC fighter Conor McGregor is grabbing all the headlines ahead of his anticipated rematch with top lightweight contender Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, including, now, the games industry as EA prepares to launch its next UFC 4 update focused on the former double champion.

In a trailer today called “Local Lad,” a new in-game skin for McGregor is showcased within a montage that recaps his career. The new skin changes his look to the very same appearance as when he and Poirier faced off back in 2014.

McGregor was, at the time, an up and coming featherweight who was quickly capturing the world’s attention with his larger-than-life personality and impressive knockout victories. During his bout with Poirier, he donned white tudo shorts and had his hair braided in a ponytail.

The update also includes the addition UFC light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka also makes his way into the Octagon as a new playable fighter. He is set to face-off with former title-contender Dominic Reyes later this year, which perhaps explains his inclusion.

Elsewhere, Andre Bishop and Isaac Frost, have also been unlocked for immediate play. Both have been added to the heavyweight roster.

Also, world heavyweight boxing champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury as free fighters until Feb. 8 via Microsoft and Sony digital stores.

Finally, new Fight Week challenges will also be implemented within the update and the below-limited edition content will be available during that time:

  • 2x McGregor kits (shirts and shorts) that reflect legendary Conor quotes
  • Custom profile banners and vanity

Here’s the Local Lad trailer:

Author
Alex Gibson

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Impressive Morrowind's Skyrim Remake Mod 'Skywind' Is Coming To Nexus Mods

3 years 3 months ago

The Skywind Morrowind Skyrim remake is a fan-made mod project that I've been covering for years throughout my career, and for good reason. This ambitious project is not only approved by Bethesda, but incredibly detailed in a way that honors both Morrowind and Skyrim in the best way possible. What Skywind does is it modernizes the amazing tale that Morrowind gave players, and now it's coming to Nexus Mods. 

Nexus Mods is a modding hub that we share quite a bit here for our Mod Corner segment and is an amazing tool for mostly PC players to get their creativity on with some of their favorite games on the market. In terms of bringing Skywind over into the Nexus-verse, there was a long conversation about what that would mean regarding Bethesda's stance on exchanging assets between various properties. While there are exceptions, including a few Fallout mods that have been sanctioned by the studio, the exchange between games is largely something Bethesda is leery of. Because of this, the folks over at Skywind have passionately worked to ensure that they used brand-new models, textures, audio, and more, all at the effort of a team of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of man hours. 

That dedication has paid off, because the project of recreating Morrowind from scratch now has the support of Nexus Mods where it can be supported more heavily community amplification. 

Author
Liana Ruppert

Apex Legends Season 8 Trailer Reveals The Destruction Of Kings Canyon

3 years 3 months ago

Click here to watch embedded media

Respawn Entertainment unveiled the arrival of Fuse with a new “Tales from the Outlands” cinematic earlier this week. Fans speculate – likely because of the character’s name – that Fuse’s ability kit prioritizes explosives and all-out destruction. In the new Season 8 Mayhem trailer that dropped today, these theories were finally confirmed. The trailer starts with Fuse recounting his recent arrival to the Apex games and the large-scale celebration surrounding him. Unfortunately, Maggie, his sadistic childhood pal, shows up to ruin the festivities. You can watch the video above.

The events that follow ultimately lead to the destruction of the beloved Kings Canyon map. Respawn announced changes to the classic location alongside the original Fuse announcement, but the level of devastation that takes place during the trailer makes Kings Canyon seem like an entirely new arena. The various points of interest haven’t been shown yet, but it’s safe to say that the massive cruiser that Fuse flew in on will play a part in Season 8’s many matches. 

Author
Jason Guisao

Valve's Gabe Newell Confirms Company Is Working On "Several New Games"

3 years 3 months ago

Valve has created some incredible games, most notably the Portal, Half-Life, Team Fortress, and Left 4 Dead franchises. With Half-Life: Alyx and Artifact heralding in a return to game dev, Valve CEO Gabe Newell confirms that the company has "several" new titles in development at this time. 

Newell sat down with the folks at 1 News to talk about what's currently coming down the pipeline for the company outside of being a viable storefront for PC gamers. In the interview, Newell addressed Alyx and mentioned that the company is looking to do more single-player games in the future. He added that Alyx "created a lot of momentum inside of the company to do more of that" in terms of single-player narratives. 

In true Newell fashion, there was no confirmation about a possible continuation of franchises like Portal and Half-Life. Instead, he added, “I’ve successfully not spoken about those things for a long time and I hope to continue to not talk about them until they are moot questions. Then we’ll move on to a new set of questions,” Newell said. Valve was recently rumored to be working on a title code-named “Citadel,” but Newell was quick to end that conversation when asked as well.

Author
Liana Ruppert

Watch The Resident Evil Showcase With Game Informer

3 years 3 months ago

Click to watch embedded media

While 2021 has gotten off to a relatively quiet start in the world of video games, we're finally getting a peek behind the curtain at one of the year's most anticipated titles.

Today, Capcom is putting on the Resident Evil Showcase and lifting the curtain on Resident Evil Village, its latest entry in the iconic horror series. The developer has promised an in-depth trailer showing off some of the new mysterious characters (can we please get a segment entirely dedicated to the tall vampire lady?), our first look at gameplay, and more.

But that's not all. According to the teaser trailer released last week, there will be more news from the world of Resident Evil outside of what we'll see from Village. Could we get a look at the new Netflix anime staring Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield? Will the reboot of the Resident Evil film franchise make an appearance? Will Capcom announce any other major plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series? We'll have to wait and see when the showcase kicks off later today.

Author
Alex Stadnik

Stardock's 4X space strategy game Galactic Civilizations III is free this week

3 years 3 months ago

If you're looking to become embroiled in a complex galactic power struggle late into the night, then you may want to nab Galactic Civilizations III, a sci-fi 4X game from Stardock, while it's free to keep.

The Epic Games Store is giving out this 2015 PC game until January 28, 2021. It's the base edition – normally $40 – so you're not getting Galactic Civilizations III's (numerous) DLC packs or expansions.

The next freebie on the Epic Store, Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition, will be up from January 28 to February 4. One of our readers, Nior, shared an excellent write-up about this "cultural metroidvania."

Me? I'm just getting a kick out of this screenshot that reminds me of Escharum from Halo Infinite.

Stardock's 4X space strategy game Galactic Civilizations III is free this week screenshot

Author
Jordan Devore

Former EA and Xbox exec Peter Moore joins Unity Technologies

3 years 3 months ago

Former Electronic Arts and Xbox executive Peter Moore announced that he has accepted a new role in Unity Technologies, the developer behind the prolific and widely used Unity multimedia toolsets. Moore will take the role of SVP and GM of Sports and Live Entertainment.

Speaking on Twitter, Moore said that he was "Delighted to be reunited with so many industry friends" before noting that he would be getting straight to work on some non-descript "cool stuff." Moore has been a long-time sports fan, and in fact left the gaming industry in 2017 in order to become CEO of his favorite football team, Liverpool FC.

Moore's resume has seen the 66-year-old rub shoulders with some of the video game industry's biggest companies. A former President of Sega of America, VP of Interactive Entertainment at Microsoft Xbox, head of the sports division and Chief Competition Officer at Electronic Arts, Moore has enjoyed a varied and very successful career and – supposedly – has the tattoos to prove it.

Former EA and Xbox exec Peter Moore joins Unity Technologies screenshot

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Author
Chris Moyse

It's time to call dibs on the best Destruction AllStars characters

3 years 3 months ago

I'd be lying if I said I've been using my PS5 a ton lately. I'm firmly in a "post-launch funk" after playing most of the games I wanted to check out while I wait for price drops for the question marks. I like this console, especially now that it's in a more stable place, but I'm ready for that next new thing. For many PlayStation Plus members, myself included, it's probably going to be Destruction AllStars next month.

Assuming this hero-based vehicular combat game resonates with the PS5 audience, I mean.

We'd be having a very different discussion about Destruction AllStars if it were still a $70 game (as was once the plan), but as a PlayStation Plus perk, it should stand a chance of catching on, at least for a couple of months. As I said, I'm in a position to want to play something new on PS5, and it doesn't necessarily have to be in my wheelhouse so long as it feels fresh. The Fury Road spikes help, I'll admit.

Author
Jordan Devore

Atomic Heart is a harsh tale of a Soviet robot revolution

3 years 3 months ago

Alternate timelines are a staple of the RPG genre, offering up worlds and situations that verge just on the precipice of believably. The latest example of such fiction can be found in Atomic Heart – a first-person action RPG currently in development at Russian studio Mundfish.

Atomic Heart is the story of the rise of both Soviet Russia and the technological revolution. The country has amassed an army of robotic servants, holograms, and drones, successfully hitting the zenith of manufacture way ahead of its own timeline. Of course, as is often the case with such stories, something has seemingly gone very wrong with these impressive mechanical marvels, which spells trouble for our protagonist, a KGB officer currently locked down in one of the union's most prolific factories.

The video below offers a brief glimpse at Atomic Heart's steampunk-horror style. Produced in coordination with NVIDIA GeForce, the short preview shows off the visual effects that will bring Mundfish's world to life, spotlighting the title's ray-tracing and DLSS effects, as powered by the GeForce RTX card. It looks pretty snazzy, and with its intriguing setting and bleak storyline, Atomic Heart might prove a sleeper hit well worth keeping an eye on

Atomic Heart is a harsh tale of a Soviet robot revolution screenshot

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Author
Chris Moyse

You Won’t Get a New GPU for a While. So Why Not Dig up Some of These Less Demanding, Underappreciated Games?

3 years 3 months ago

Nvidia and AMD have released top-tier graphics cards for the next generation of gaming, but you can’t get them anywhere. Trump’s tariffs have raised prices even further this year. And while NVIDIA just announced yet another card—the affordable RTX 3060—I wouldn’t expect to get one of those anytime soon either. So…

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Author
Whitson Gordon on The Inventory, shared by Gabe Carey to Kotaku

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Bugsnax Devs Say The Ending Could Have Been A Lot Darker

3 years 3 months ago

I’ve been thinking about Bugsnax so much that it feels like I’ve eaten one of the suspiciously addicting little critters myself. It’s been a week since I’ve finished the game and I still catch myself muttering “bunger bunger bunger” as I go about my day. To satiate my hunger for more Bugsnax without actually…

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Author
Ash Parrish

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How to Remove Bernie's Background and Paste Him Anywhere

3 years 3 months ago

If you want to contribute to the latest Bernie photo craze before the meme plays itself out—which will probably be sometime around the end of the week—it’s not that hard to cut out Bernie-Sanders-on-a-chair and splice him into whatever image you want. However, to save you a bit of time, you can also use a version of…

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Author
David Murphy on Lifehacker, shared by Riley MacLeod to Kotaku

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Space-based strategy Galactic Civilizations 3 is Epic's latest free game

3 years 3 months ago

Should you wish to expand your increasingly insurmountable back catalogue still further, Epic has announced the next two freebies it'll be featuring on its store, starting with Galactic Civilizations 3 and continuing with gravity flipping platformer Dandara next week.

Galactic Civilizations 3 is developer Stardock's space-based 4X strategy game, which proved good enough to earn itself a twinkling Recommended badge when it fell under the Eurogamer review-o-matic's gaze back in 2015.

"If you've sunk hundreds of hours into GalCiv 2, it may seem early on like you're playing an HD upgrade rather than a sequel," wrote reviewer Richie Shoemaker, "but once ship production is in full swing and the fleets are massing on the borders, you start to appreciate all that is new...[it's] well deserving of the GalCiv name and offers enough in the way of traditional features and modern scalability to secure the series' place at the very top of the 4X tech tree".

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Skul: The Hero Slayer lets you swap skills by swapping skulls, is out now

3 years 3 months ago

A screenshot of a big shopkeeper orc from Skul: The Hero Slayer.

Maybe you miss Hollow Knight, or you’re dead tired of Dead Cells. Then Skul: The Hero Slayer might appeal. It’s a side-on stabrawler roguelite that’s just left early access in which you can swap skulls to swap skills, and also lob your noggin at enemies. It’s nice, from my brief play of it, and there’s an announcement trailer below.

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Author
Graham Smith

Immortals Fenyx Rising Adds Blood of Zeus Bonus Quest via Limited Time Crossover

3 years 3 months ago

Today Ubisoft announced that a new crossover between Immortals Fenyx Rising, and Netflix animated series Blood of Zeus, would take place.

The crossover between the two franchises based around Greek mythology begins right now apparently and only runs for one week ending on Jan. 28. So if this is something that intrigues you and you’re playing Immortals Fenyx Rising I’d hop to it.

Players will gain access to a new Blood of Zeus-themed quest called A Tribute to Family that will appear on the game map after completing the quest “Gods and Monsters.”

Here are the details of the crossover quest via Ubisoft:

The quest will first take you to the Hall of the Gods where you’ll find a lone ghost to interact with. Completing the quest will earn players the Eagle pendant and new “Blood of Zeus”-inspired customization options.

You’ll also be able to purchase a new weapon pack containing themed skins for Fenyx’s sword, axe, and bow, as well as a character pack to customize your armor, helmet, wings, mount, and Phosphor with a unique “Blood of Zeus” flair. Both the weapon and character pack can still be purchased after the conclusion of the crossover event.

So while the quest itself might only be around for a limited time, it does appear that the purchasable customization options will still be available, so there’s that at least I suppose if that’s something you’re into.

Between Immortals Fenyx Rising, Hades, Blood of Zeus, Smite still being alive in 2021, and probably other stuff I’m forgetting, Greek Mythology is so hot right now.

Author
Ed McGlone

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Codemasters’ Board of Directors Agree to Terms of EA Takeover; Acquisition Inches Closer

3 years 3 months ago

The board of directors of Codemasters, the developers behind popular racing game franchises such as F1 and Dirt, have voted in favor of accepting EA’s proposed acquisition terms.

While the directors are on board with EA’s proposal there are still a few other hoops that need to be jumped through before everything is official and Codemasters is formally acquired by EA as outlined by VGC.

First, the shareholders of Codemasters need to vote and agree to the terms. As VGC notes, the directors are recommending to shareholders that they do vote to move forward with the acquisition. And the after that, a court hearing will be held to approve the deal.

All the while EA still has the ability to rescind their offer or allow it to lapse without finalizing should they change their mind hypothetically for whatever reason. In other words, nothing is locked in just yet, but it is rapidly heading in the direction of acquisition.

Last year, Take-Two made a move to acquire Codemasters but EA was able to swoop in with a deal that the Codemasters board apparently found more favorable, and Take-Two’s offer lapsed as a result.

Author
Ed McGlone

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Here Are All of Our Best of 2020 in Video Games Award Winners

3 years 3 months ago

Another year of gaming in the books. 2020 is done and dusted. While most gamers (including us) are looking forward to 2021 and the exciting games it might bring, here at Twinfinite we did want to take one final look back at 2020.

In spite of so many potentially disruptive things that happened in 2020, such as Covid-19 impacting the safety of developers and the end of console generation, there were still a lot of great games that released in the calendar year.

If you’ve been following along with us for the last two weeks or so, you likely caught at least a few of the “Best of 2020” awards that we dished out, but before we completely move on, let’s run take one last trip down memory lane.

Author
Ed McGlone

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Resident Evil Village Collector's And Deluxe Editions Revealed

3 years 3 months ago

You know what's a neat way to celebrate all of the Resident Evil Village news showed off today during the Capcom showcase? Treating yourself to a Collector's edition that scratches that fandom itch perfectly. Capcom revealed two special versions of the highly anticipated horror game with the Resident Evil Collector's and Deluxe editions available now to pre-order. 

There are two options to choose from when the game arrives May 7 for those that want special loot, starting with the Deluxe Edition Trauma Pack. 

Trauma Pack: 

  • Safe Room music
  • Save device
  • Albert01 Chris weapon 
  • The Tragedy of Ethan Winters
  • Found Footage RE7 Filter
  • Mr. Everywhere 

As for what the Collector's Edition will have to offer, the more expansive option includes everything the Deluxe edition has plus more: 

Author
Liana Ruppert