January 2021

Video Game Land was pretty quiet until LucasFilm Games popped up and decided to announce they were working with Bethesda on an Indiana Jones game, and then, only a day later, they said they’d partnered with Ubisoft for an open-world Star Wars game. Licensed video games are back, baby.

Loads of people are missing their cinema fix at the minute, so we decided to celebrate film in this week’s Mystery Steam Reviews. It’s Mystery Steam Reviews: The Movie: The Game: The Quiz.

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The first mission in Hitman 3 – Dubai – has three ‘Mission Stories’ available to you. Some bits and pieces are less self-explanatory than we might like though, so we’ve put together a nice, easy, step-by-step guide on how to complete them. Just follow these steps and you’ll be able to complete all mission stories in Hitman 3’s Dubai level.

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Today Cygames released a new gameplay trailer of its popular fighting game Granblue Fantasy Versus.

The trailer focuses on the newest DLC character, Uno, who will be released as part of the second character pass on Feb. 6.

We get to see his gameplay, whilewe already know that the next reveal is coming in March with Granblue Fantasy’s anniversary livestream.

You can check out his trailer below, alongside his original reveal.

Hajime Tabata, director of Final Fantasy XV, left Square Enix in 2018 after founding its Luminous Productions studio earlier that year. Now Tabata, who established his own studio called JP Games, is back and working on a virtual travel experience for a Japanese airline.

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We're still a long way from the release of Elder Scrolls 6 - a game that remains as mysterious as ever - so if you're looking for another Elder Scrolls project with no release date to get excited about, I have just the thing.

Skyblivion, a mod project that's been in development since 2012, aims to remake The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion using Skyrim's engine - and while there's still no release date for the mod, the latest update video shows significant progress. Focused on the mod's remastered environments and quests, it's a lovely version of Cyrodiil reimagined with a mixture of Skyrim and custom-made assets.

According to mod team TESRenewal, most of the mod's exterior environments are already on their "first pass", with the team now looking to add polish and additional details to the outside world. The team is working on a whopping 2663 interiors, and is currently in the process of reworking all the caves, mines and dungeons from Oblivion. While Oblivion often reused its dungeon designs, the Skyblivion mod team is making them more unique: designing them based on NPC and book descriptions found in the original game. Plenty of Oblivion assets have been given a redesign, but the mod team seems to be looking for even more 3D artists to help with all this fancy furniture.

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Hello! Welcome to a new regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've found ourselves playing over the last few weeks. This time: A Ubisoft Battle Royale, a truly immersive sim, and fun with cards.

Designers: be careful with your fonts. My wife thinks Hyper Scape is called Hyper Slap. Such is the confusing retro-futurism of the title screen. She'll come into the living room: "Oh, you're playing Hyper Slap again."

I am playing Hyper Scape again. I am terrible at it, and as the audience dwindles it takes longer and longer to get a match going, which is an awful fate for a Battle Royale, which needs so many players. But when the matches do kick off, I feel like this might be an underappreciated charmer. Combat is brisk and movement is wonderfully smooth, but it's the map that has me: a sort of grey-box take on a European city, right down to a huge model of Notre Dame.

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Currys/PC World have lowered the price of Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers to those who enter the code GAMINGFND1 at checkout, taking a little extra off the price of a high-demand Switch accessory.

Not only that, but there's a few other items that have discounts and free offers attached (though the codes differ in some cases). If you've enjoyed getting the most out of your Switch this winter, new games and a spicy new controller can be what breathes new life into it. Check out below for some of our favourite options!

There's always more deals at Eurogamer, courtesy of your friends at Jelly Deals! Check out the cheapest place to pre-order Resident Evil Village, or find out about other Switch games that are currently going cheap. Or just follow us on Twitter for instant info on deals around the world!

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You'll have to wait a while longer to watch Uncharted in cinemas, since Sony has now delayed Tom Holland's film debut as Nathan Drake until 2022.

Uncharted's long-awaited movie version was previously set to arrive in October this year, before Sony optimistically brought its release forward to July.

Sony's release date shuffle is part of a new wave of film delays, begun overnight by a third postponement of the upcoming James Bond, and of course all caused by the impact of COVID on cinemas being open.

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The Devil May Cry 5 Vergil's Rebirth Sound Selection album features all tracks associated with Vergil.

The post Devil May Cry 5 Vergil’s Rebirth Sound Selection Album Focuses on Character Themes appeared first on Siliconera.

Starting March 2021 Japanese audiences can check out special displays at select locations that will feature characters from the Samurai Warriors series.

The post Koei Tecmo to Collaborate With Japanese Museums Using Samurai Warriors Franchise appeared first on Siliconera.

This special made to order statue features N and Zorua, which is inspired by a special illustration by artist Naoki Saito.

The post Pokemon Black and White N and Zorua Statue Now Available to Pre-Order appeared first on Siliconera.

Hades

does many things right, but it really excels when it comes to the characters of the underworld, and the relationships you can strike up with them. The idea that you can pursue a romance in a roguelite sounds ridiculous, but in Hades this is very much an option. If you’re interested in plumbing the depths of particular relationships, then our Hades romance guide will walk you through which characters you can attempt to start a romance with, and how to go about doing so for each one.

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When Respawn said last week that the Apex Legends’ map Kings Canyon would be “obliterated” in Season 8, I thought perhaps this meant they were going to whack a giant crater somewhere and call it a day. After seeing the new Season 8 launch trailer, I think I wildly underestimated their resolve. Kings Canyon looks like a wasteland.

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In the Dubai mission in Hitman 3, you might need to go into the server room in order to rearrange the meetings of your targets and get them alone in a room. However, a bit of the mission I got stuck on is the part where you have to acquire admin privileges in the server room. Here’s how to acquire admin privileges during the How The Mighty Fall mission.

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IO Interactive’s latest iteration of its beloved Hitman series has been an overwhelming success. Today, the developer confirmed that Hitman 3 has recorded the biggest digital launch in the franchise’s history.

The news comes by way of a Tweet from IO’s Twitter channel, which includes a graphic celebrating the game’s equally impressive critical reception.

HITMAN 3 has arrived!

And it’s the biggest digital launch in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/7j8rDkEhAa

— IO Interactive (@IOInteractive) January 22, 2021

Given global COVID-19 stay-at-home measures, it’s perhaps no surprise that Hitman 3’s digital sales have been stronger than usual. Although, it’s still a clear indication that the franchise has a substantial following either way.

Twinfinite’s own review of Hitman 3 was certainly full of praise for what we considered yet another masterstroke from IO. Albeit, one that does play things a little safe. Our review concluded:

“Without straying far from the successful sandbox formula, it’s an excellent final part of IO’s trilogy. While the increased freedom and level variety won’t be for everyone, Hitman 3 boasts some of the best locations and stories the series has ever seen, and there’s so much to uncover in each and every one of them.”

The world of games today is unlike anything we†™ve ever seen. Fast-moving. Boundary-pushing. Exploding with new features, new abilities, and new methods for keeping players engaged. Are you keeping up? ...

Based in Melbourne, Big Ant is best known for working on sports titles including AO Tennis, Ashes Cricket, and Cricket 19. ...

Destiny 2's Umbral Engrams and Prismatic Recaster from season 11 are coming back in season 13, Bungie announced in this week’s blog post. That’s great news, considering it made for one of the better loot grinds in the game’s recent past.

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The Sims 4 (PC) | $20 | Best Buy
The Sims 4 + Island Living Bundle (XBO) | $25 | Best Buy
The Sims 4 + Island Living Bundle (PS4) | $25 | Best Buy

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Fortnite seems to be going through a bit of a Hollywood moment, as the popular battle royale title has been adding a glut of characters from the silver screen to its fort-buildin', lootin'-shootin' diorama. Hot on the scaly heels of the Predator, Epic Games has announced that The Terminator and human rival Sarah Connor are also gearing up to join the fray.

UPDATE 23 JAN 2021: Microsoft has issued a shock U-turn on its Xbox Live Gold price hike following a backlash, and has announced it will make free-to-play games free to play on Xbox.

UPDATE 22 JAN 2021: A Microsoft representative has confirmed to Eurogamer the UK Xbox Live Gold price hike:

One month goes up from £6.99 to £7.99.

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A $250,000 Call of Duty: Warzone tournament was last night rocked by accusations of hacking, prompting calls for better anti-cheat within the game.

The trio squads tournament, which starred some of the biggest names in Warzone, blew up in the penultimate game of the final day of the event after multiple high-profile participants accused a Canadian player called Metzy of using an aimbot, with one clip in particular raising eyebrows.

The clip shows Metzy's reticle shift quickly to a player who jumps out of a window. Metzy plays Warzone on PC using a controller.

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The Eternals founder Anre demonstrates his parry-heavy playstyle in Granblue Fantasy Versus.

The post Granblue Fantasy Versus Anre DLC Trailer and Release Date Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

Genshin Impact's Barbara wants you to do your best and, in a new video, she asks how she can help you out and shares some of her secrets.

The post Genshin Impact’s Barbara Wants to Heal Your Heart in a Video appeared first on Siliconera.

The video contained messages from friends, directors of the Dad of Light adaptations, and his surviving father.

The post FFXIV Dad of Light Author Maidy’s Memorial Video Published appeared first on Siliconera.

Lanterns and Vishaps and Anemo boys, oh my!

The post Xiao the Vigilant Yaksha Leads the Genshin Impact 1.3 Trailer appeared first on Siliconera.

Persona 5 Strikers' Panther, Mona, and Sophie will join Joker in the Dragalia Lost "Caged Desire" event.

The post Panther, Mona, and Sophie Will Join Dragalia Lost P5S Event appeared first on Siliconera.

After outcry, Microsoft reverses course and goes a step further

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The fall is going to be packed — in theory

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In Nuts, you are a recent graduate who has been sent out into the woods to research squirrels. But the squirrels, needless to say, are not as they seem. Getting to the root of this forestry mystery involves putting down remote cameras during the day, and then reviewing the footage in your caravan by night, to see what the little fellows get up to after dark. It is a superb, simple premise, and with each set of scamperings you track, a little more of the game’s story is doled out to you.

Cross-platform development is based on a Boogle House foundation that is beginning to creak from age, stress, and limits reached. ...

Updated:Microsoft is no longer increasing the price of its Xbox Live Gold plan, and will be no longer require Xbox users to purchase the plan to play free-to-play online games. ...

Codemasters' directors have all voted in favour of the proposed acquisition of the studio by EA. ...

While the world came to a screeching halt in 2020, the games industry adapted and roared on into one of the biggest years yet for the industry. Two major console launches and the latest installments of fan favorite franchises had the big three serving meals to gamers left and right.

So with 2020 behind us, the question remains, which company was the best to gamers in 2020? Come on a ride with us as we look at the biggest highlights from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo in 2020 to decide who was best to gamers in 2020!

Update: Late on Friday, Microsoft reversed course after receiving overwhelming negative feedback. Here is their response in full. The original post will follow the response.

We messed up today and you were right to let us know. Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of gaming and we failed to meet the expectations of players who count on it every day. As a result, we have decided not to change Xbox Live Gold pricing.

We’re turning this moment into an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience. For free-to-play games, you will no longer need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play those games on Xbox. We are working hard to deliver this change as soon as possible in the coming months.

If you are an Xbox Live Gold member already, you stay at your current price for renewal. New and existing members can continue to enjoy Xbox Live Gold for the same prices they pay today. In the US, $9.99 for 1-month, $24.99 for 3-months, $39.99 for 6-months and $59.99 for retail 12-months.

Microsoft has today unveiled its next line-up of free games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, which is headlined by some excellent games that include Resident Evil Remake and Gears 5.

The full line-up throughout February and the dates each is available is as follows:

Perhaps to try and take a bit of the sting out of announcing that Xbox Live Gold will now cost $120 a year, Microsoft announced some pretty good Games with Gold for next month. February’s lineup is headlined by Gears 5, which is excellent and also just got a very good DLC expansion. Dandara is also a standout Metroid-like

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