Eurogamer

Among Us teases a sleek new map

3 years 5 months ago

Is the Among Us community about to get a new favourite map to replace the Skeld? Quite possibly, as developer InnerSloth has teased a new map for the game - and everyone is understandably quite excited.

The teaser itself leaves much to the imagination, but shows a shiny new cockpit with an all-important vent in the middle. InnerSloth plans on revealing more at the Game Awards, which takes place on 10th December (or in the early hours of 11th December, for those in the UK).

Plans for the map were announced back in September, when InnerSloth detailed a Henry Stickmin-themed location in its blog post discussing future plans (Henry Stickmin is another game series created by InnerSloth co-founder Marcus "PuffballsUnited" Bromander, by the way). We also know the map is supposed to be bigger than Polus, with "plenty of new tasks," and will be free for all players.

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The ball's in Sony's court for PS4 games running at 120fps on PS5

3 years 5 months ago

We're starting to get a sense of why PlayStation 5 users are unlikely to see PlayStation 4 games run at 120 frames per second on Sony's new console - despite the PS5 being perfectly capable of doing it.

Last week, I reported on how Infinity Ward had quietly updated Call of Duty: Warzone to run at 120fps on Xbox Series X, but not on PS5.

Warzone, which comes up as a PS4 app when it's downloaded on PS5, does not boot in 120Hz, and there are no in-game menu functions to enable it. Activision declined to comment when contacted by Eurogamer, leaving us to assume the reason for this difference had to do with the way Sony handles backwards compatibility. At the time, I speculated that Infinity Ward would have to create a full PS5 port of Warzone in order to enable 120fps on the console.

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Capcom ransomware attack worsens as release schedule posted online

3 years 5 months ago

Capcom has suffered another serious information breach, as details of its upcoming game release schedule up to the end of 2024 have been posted online.

It follows a cache of documents posted earlier this week which revealed details on more imminently-available games due within the next few months, as well as source code and plans for handling relationships with streamers. Nine items of employee personal data were also included.

As before, this new information comes from a ransomware attack which breached Capcom's servers and obtained an enormous amount of sensitive information. Capcom has acknowledged the attack and is now working with law enforcement agencies.

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The Last Spell is an SRPG on steroids

3 years 5 months ago

Here's a cocktail as explosive as a firecracker: take three parts SRPG, one part roguelike and a final dash of spicy musou, and you've got a mix that bangs. The Last Spell, which dropped a demo on Steam earlier this month, is proof of that - it's a sparky little mess of influences that shows some serious promise.

The isometric perspective and pixel-art - absolutely gorgeous, exquisitely detailed pixel-art, it should be pointed out - are reminiscent of SRPG staples like Final Fantasy Tactics, and the set-up's much the same: take charge of a small party of warriors and indulge in some turn-based combat on an isometric map. There's a twist - actually, there's a few - in that you're working on a single map, defending the circle of magic at the centre of your base.

So yes, on top of being a roguelike with your party and quarters procedurally generated, there's also base defence factored in, with The Last Spell split into three easy to parse sections - by night you're deploying your team, before engaging the hordes of undead that attack until dawn, and by day you're spending the resources acquired on tooling up your team (in a nice touch - actually, the most important touch - the gear you equip is visible on your avatars).

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PS Plus Black Friday offer takes 25% off a 1 year membership

3 years 5 months ago

The Black Friday sales are really kicking into gear now and, would you look at that, an old favourite is back again. Yep, like clockwork, a PS Plus membership is discounted by 25 per cent or more at various retailers.

You'll find the best PS Plus Black Friday offer over at ShopTo, where the price on a one year subscription is down to £32.85. Amazon's discount is slightly smaller, bringing it down to £37.49. A 12 month PS Plus subscription usually costs £49.99. Check out both below, or hop over to our PlayStation Black Friday deals page for even more savings.

As you no doubt already know, PS Plus is Sony's membership service across PS4 and PS5. Signing up gives you a number of benefits, such as access to online multiplayer, exclusive discounts, cloud storage for saved data and a couple of free games each month.

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Godfall review: a beautiful but hollow action RPG

3 years 5 months ago

As you glide about its burnished hallways, flitting from one glittering, cavernous hall to the next, it's hard not to be impressed by the pomposity of Godfall. Its opening is unapologetically ostentatious in a way that's somehow both majestic and faintly repellent, like an ageing casino decorated by a man who thinks he has taste.

At first, it all feels reminiscent of Destiny 2's Leviathan raid. It's those interiors; the slick, polished metal and all that gleaming gold. It's an undeniably gorgeous universe, and later, when you step outside and weave through the crumbling ruins of the Earth Realm, fiery leaves dancing above your head, or explore the aquamarine-soaked environs of the Water Realm, you'll realise just how breathtaking this world is.

The problem with Godfall is that beauty is pretty much all it's got. Though it dresses itself up as a Diablo-esque looter-slasher and drenches you with gear and weapons at pretty much every opportunity it can get, there's so little else to sink your teeth into here beyond its gratifying aesthetic. The story - a tale of two warring brothers, of which you, Orin, are one - is intriguing, but fails to deliver its plot or central characters in a convincing or meaningful way. The loot is plentiful, yes, but with so much gear available at virtually every turn, it cheapens - maybe even negates - any desire to upgrade or retain favourite pieces.

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Are the PS5 and Xbox Series X too buggy at launch? It's the Eurogamer next-gen news cast!

3 years 5 months ago

The PlayStation 5 is now out in the UK! After a week of watching our American cousins enjoy their new next-gen consoles, Sony's machine finally launched on our shores this week, and of course it didn't go quite according to plan. After a remarkable row between GAME and Yodel that saw the delivery company trending on Twitter as anxious customers wondered whether their PS5s would actually turn up on launch day, Currys ended up calling off its PS5 launch after accidentally selling consoles early. Clearly, our shops have struggled to cope with demand during the lockdown, although according to Emma's on-the-ground reporting of the click-and-collect sale of the PS5 at our local GAME, excited fans were at least socially distancing.

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Amazon's Black Friday 2020 sale covers Watch Dogs Legion and more

3 years 5 months ago

As we approach Black Friday 2020, Amazon is lowering prices on various games across the board, including major releases like Watch Dogs Legion, the Dark Souls Trilogy, Marvel's Avengers and more.

While all of these could be very good purchases, the big one is, of course, Watch Dogs: Legion, which only came out last month and has become one of the first cross-gen titles in the middle of this console shift. You can see our review of Legion here, but if you are into cautionary tales about right-wing political systems being brought down by snarky, British hacktivists - well, look no further. Not only that, but the game will work both on the PS4 and Xbox One as well as the PS5 and Series X/S.

Whatever your interests, we've collated and curated all the best deals Amazon are offering at the moment and linked them just below for your perusal.

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XIII's remake proves the original is sometimes the better option

3 years 5 months ago

Just because a remake falls short doesn't mean we should forget what made the original so good. It's very strange to be a fan of an old game that's been most ignored in years gone by. Ubisoft's XIII did receive some good reviews though - the first one I remembered reading way back in 2003 was in a copy of Games Master, which gave it 94% if memory's serving me correctly.

Let me state the obvious up front: the 2020 remake of XIII is not a 94% game. Just to refresh your memory (no pun intended), the story is loosely based on an old Belgian comic. You're an amnesiac washed up on a beach with the roman numerals XIII tattooed on your shoulder and quickly learn you're accused of assassinating the American president. So, quite simple and easy to deal with.

XIII is an approachable and friendly thing compared to today's shooters, avoiding the annoying RPG-style upgrade systems that seem to be the norm now. Another benefit is not having to sit through episodic-length cut scenes. The story moves swiftly between different scenes and the comic-style panel presentation offers up multiple angles as if you're watching a movie without the pain of... well, watching a movie.

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Gabe Newell's gnome is blasting into space for charity early Friday morning in the UK

3 years 5 months ago

Earlier this month Valve's Gabe Newell announced he - alongside Weta Workshop and Rocket Lab - would be launching a garden gnome into space for charity, with $1 being donated for everyone that watches. And now the time has come to wave goodbye to Gnome Chompski, who is preparing for lift-off early tomorrow, 20th November, in the UK.

The whole affair is, of course, inspired by Half-Life 2: Episode 2's Little Rocket Man achievement - still one of the finest achievements ever created - which required players to carry an otherwise innocuous garden gnome from the start of the game to a rocket ship near its end. This is not, as anyone who's tried it will tell you, an easy task, thanks to the gnome's infuriating tendency to randomly launch out of Episode 2's open-top vehicles, courtesy of some exuberant physics.

Newell's recreation of Gnome Chompski's Episode 2 adventure thankfully skips to the end, and will see the iconic garden ornament - actually a 6-inch titanium recreation of Chompski created by Weta Workshop, in this instance - blast into space at 2.44pm NZT/1.44am in the UK on 20th November, which equates to 8.44pm EST on 19th November.

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Annapurna confirms delays for Twelve Minutes, The Artful Escape, and Last Stop

3 years 5 months ago

Annapurna Interactive, the unnervingly reliable publisher behind the likes of Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, and What Remains of Edith Finch, has confirmed that three of its upcoming titles - Twelve Minutes, The Artful Escape, and Last Stop - will no longer release this year as originally planned, and are now scheduled to launch in 2021.

Twelve Minutes is the darkly atmospheric work of Luis Antonio (who made the art for The Witness) and tells the story of a man who finds himself trapped in a time loop following a violent home invasion, with players attempting to change the outcome of events. The PC and Xbox game also has an all-star cast including Daisy Ridley, Willem Dafoe, and James McAvoy.

As for The Artful Escape, it's a surreal rock opera platform adventure that charts the escapades of teenage guitar prodigy Francis Vendetti as he embarks on a cosmic journey to the psychedelic world of Glimmerdim in order to craft his stage persona. Music, unsurprisingly, plays a big part in the experience, and it's heading to Xbox One, PC, and Apple Arcade.

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Marvel's Avengers takes a closer look at next hero Kate Bishop, due in December

3 years 5 months ago

Crystal Dynamics' video game spin on Marvel's Avengers might not have done the numbers publisher Square Enix was hoping for, but those players that did join the ride have a bunch of free content to look forward to in the coming months, starting on 8th December with the arrival of new hero Kate Bishop, who's now been given the full reveal treatment in a new video.

Kate Bishop, the other Hawkeye, joins Marvel's Avengers as part of its first season of post-launch content. This continues the base game's story in new chapters referred to as Operations, each forming part of a "interconnected narrative that unfolds and evolves" as new content is added, and each potentially adding new playable heroes, villains, biomes, and more.

The first of these story additions, Operation: Taking AIM, sees Kate Bishop - a "world-class archer and adept swordsman", voiced by Ashly Burch - searching for mentor Hawkeye (the Clint Barton version), in a journey that eventually leads to a conspiracy involving Nick Fury, time travel, and a new enemy known as the Super Adaptoid.

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Cyberpunk 2077 gets new gameplay trailer as CD Projekt talks music, Keanu, and more

3 years 5 months ago

We're exactly three weeks away from the 10th December launch of Cyberpunk 2077 (fingers crossed), and CD Projekt has marked the occasion with a new five-minute gameplay trailer, as well as a look at its music, star performer, and more.

All of today's new information comes via CD Projekt's latest Night City Wire livestream, which was admittedly rather light on the juicy stuff compared to previous offerings. Keanu did, however, pop up to discuss his role as Johnny Silverhand (and to look dashing in a motion-capture ping-pong suit), and we got a brisk but informative delve into Cyberpunk's music - both its original score and soundtrack.

On the original score front, CD Projekt says it has around seven and a half hours of music in-game, all inspired by the likes of rave, industrial, and IDM to deliver some electronic "90s flair". Those eager to introduce their ears to Cyberpunk 2077's score can do so from today, courtesy of a 6-track EP which will be made available across a variety of streaming services.

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GeForce Now's sneaky iOS Safari workaround available to try

3 years 5 months ago

GeForce Now has launched a beta version of its game-streaming service you can play on iPhone and iPad within Apple's Safari browser.

This option acts as a workaround to Apple's policy which forbids separate apps that stream their own games, and which has also blocked an iPhone launch for Microsoft's xCloud.

Apple has said it wants to ensure games people play on iPhone and iPad are released through its own App Store, which allows games to be rated and reviewed before launch, and also allows Apple to take its cut.

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World of Warcraft has had an endgame problem. Here's what Blizzard is doing to fix it in Shadowlands

3 years 5 months ago

Two expansions ago, with 2016's Legion, high-level and endgame World of Warcraft underwent a big change. Legion introduced Artifact weapons for each class specialisation that could be infinitely powered up and used to further customise each specialisation's playstyle. All told, it was a net positive, dovetailing well with some of the expansion's other innovations - such as the repeatable, rotating World Quests - to open long-term endgame progression to a wider variety of players than just the raiding hardcore. WOW became a game you could pleasurably grind away at and advance your character without feeling funnelled towards more and more challenging group content in the quest for elusive loot drops. (It became a lot more like Diablo in that respect - coincidentally or not, current WOW executive producer John Hight also served as the production director on Diablo 3's excellent console version and Reaper of Souls expansion.)

However, layered-on, limitless endgame progression systems of this sort come with problems. They can feel aimless or overwhelming, or both, and sometimes players can end up feeling more boxed in than liberated by them. That's what happened when Blizzard tried to build on the Artifact system in 2018's Battle for Azeroth. Its linked twin systems of Azerite armour pieces that can be powered up and Essences that grant new abilities felt fussy and overdeveloped, adding complication and huge grind without also adding anything particularly distinctive to your spec. The WOW community loves to complain about them.

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On the ground at a lockdown PlayStation 5 launch

3 years 5 months ago

Tanked up on coffee and wrapped in a warm jacket, this morning I once again set forth into the wastelands of mid-lockdown Brighton for another episode of "what does a console launch look like in 2020". This time, it's the PlayStation 5 edition.

If you missed my prior escapades, last week I visited GAME's Brighton store to see exactly how the retailer was handling the launch of the Xbox Series X/S in the middle of England's Covid-19 lockdown. Game stores are classed as non-essential shops, meaning they're officially closed - but GAME has organised a click-and-collect system to allow customers to pick up their consoles on the day. For the Xbox launch I arrived at lunchtime, when things had really quietened down, so to catch some of the prospective PlayStation 5 owners as they were picking up their consoles, I set my alarm clock to arrive slightly before opening time at 8:30am.

GAME Brighton is located within Churchill Square Shopping Centre, which normally opens at 9am, but special arrangements had been made for the PlayStation 5 launch. Queue spots were marked out to remind customers to keep a distance of 2m from one another, and a security guard was on duty to ensure a timely opening... and hand out the occasional elbow-bump.

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Green Man Gaming's Black Friday 2020 deals are now live

3 years 5 months ago

Black Friday doesn't arrive until November 27th but more sites are continuing to post their early deals. Amongst the latest to do so is Green Man Gaming, whose most recent batch of PC game offerings has just gone live.

Quite notably, Ubisoft are the star of the show here and discounts are going as high as 91 per cent off.

It's worth noting that Green Man Gaming provides redeemable keys upon purchase, so be sure to check who the code applies to, as a lot of the below offers will only work on Ubisoft Connect, rather than Steam.

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Hitman developer IO is making a James Bond game

3 years 5 months ago

Hitman developer IO Interactive has revealed it is making the next James Bond game.

This afternoon's very short teaser simply shows the franchise's iconic gun barrel intro and a codename: Project 007.

A follow-up tweet from the official James Bond account reveals this will be a new Bond, and an origin story for the agent:

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Nintendo bans brands from using Animal Crossing: New Horizons for politics

3 years 5 months ago

Nintendo Switch blockbuster Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become a hub for brands and businesses to attract new customers, stage campaigns, and even hold protests.

But, after seeing the game used so prominently, Nintendo has now issued a formal set of guidelines for businesses and organisations, which notably includes the line: "Please also refrain from bringing politics into the game."

The announcement of these guidelines - and that political line in particular - comes just weeks after the US election, in which the Biden campaign used Animal Crossing to release virtual yard signs and host an island with information on his campaign and details on how to vote.

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EA is giving FIFA 21 Ultimate Team players a free David Beckham card - except on Nintendo Switch

3 years 5 months ago

EA is giving FIFA 21 Ultimate Team players a free David Beckham card on all platforms except Nintendo Switch.

If you play FIFA 21 at any point between 15th December 2020 and 15th January 2021, you'll get an untradeable David Beckham for use in FUT. This is a card that reflects a pony-tailed Beckham's LaLiga debut for Real Madrid against Real Betis back in the 03/04 season (he scored on his debut, too).

(Beckham's ratings on his untradeable card are reflective of his LaLiga debut for Real Madrid only, EA said. The ratings are different than those of his upcoming Icon cards, which will reflect three distinct eras of his career.)

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Sackboy: A Big Adventure review - a gentle, charming and imaginative platformer

3 years 5 months ago

This is the game 2020 sorely needs.

I know, I know. That's a bold claim, particularly from someone like me - someone who naturally shuns the bright, Day-Glo glory of platformers to shuffle around, scared and confused, in the shadows of horror games. It might be the very antithesis of what I purport to love, but Sackboy: A Big Adventure's bite-sized dollops of fun and unadulterated loveliness are as irresistible as they are charming, and, quite frankly, it's exactly what I need right now - maybe even what the world needs right now.

It won't be the story that bowls you over, though. While well-written, it's the usual fare - bad guy (Vex) is trying to take over the world; good guy (you, as Sackboy) is trying to stop him - but it's an entertaining enough romp, with Dawn French, Richard E. Grant and Simon Greenall (the inimitable Michael from I'm Alan Partridge, although you may know him better as that bloody Meerkat) all lending their voices to sculpt an affable cast of cheeky characters.

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Looks like Far Cry 6 will now launch May 2021

3 years 5 months ago

The delayed Far Cry 6 will now launch on 26th May 2021, according to a Microsoft Store listing.

Ubisoft's not-Cuba open world shooter was previously set to arrive on 18th February, before the company nudged both it and Rainbow Six Quarantine into its next financial year a few weeks ago.

What looks to be Far Cry 6's new release date is currently visible on the game's Microsoft Store page, where you are also able to place a pre-order.

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Currys calls off PS5 launch after accidentally selling consoles early

3 years 5 months ago

Currys PC World has cancelled its plans to sell PlayStation 5 today after a number of early customers were able to place orders well before the chain's official 9am release time.

These orders have now been cancelled, affected customers were told, and the chain has called off selling any more PS5s today entirely.

Currys originally said it would begin selling PS5 at 9am this morning, though some early birds found they could place orders early. There are reports on social media from a number of happy customers who state they were able to secure their PS5 from as early as 5.30am.

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GAME now warning pre-order customers that not all PS5s will be delivered on launch day

3 years 5 months ago

UPDATE 19/11/20 9.30am UK: GAME has now followed up with an additional statement on the chain's PS5 pre-order snafu, and said the "vast majority" of deliveries would be made today, Thursday 19th November, with the remainder on Friday.

Sent to pre-order customers late last night, including Eurogamer staff members, it's a less finger-pointy message than the one originally sent.

"We wanted to follow up on our previous communication to you around Yodel deliveries to confirm that the vast majority of orders will be delivered tomorrow with any outstanding orders being delivered on Friday," GAME wrote.

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Treyarch nerfs Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's overpowered MP5 just days after launch

3 years 5 months ago

If you've been playing Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's competitive multiplayer since the game came out on Friday, you've probably noticed one gun in particular pop up more than any other: the MP5.

This devastating full-auto submachine gun was widely considered the best weapon in the game, and outperformed other classes of guns in situations it really shouldn't.

With the right attachments, the MP5 could drop an enemy quickly from the kind of distances Assault Rifles should excel in - and sometimes even farther - and this, coupled with its extremely low recoil, made it the face-melting machine of choice in Black Ops Cold War.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War review - solid action with the potential for greatness

3 years 5 months ago

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the latest in Activision's annual first-person shooter series, is a solid effort. Playing through its campaign, multiplayer and zombies modes - Call of Duty's golden triangle - there is a lot to like. And I do believe Black Ops Cold War is probably the best game it has any right to be under the circumstances - circumstances that were troubled even before the pandemic forced the developers at Raven and Treyarch and the enormous quality assurance effort that goes into a Call of Duty to switch to work from home. Like a Black Ops operation behind enemy lines, Cold War is something of a miraculous rescue job, the result of what I have no doubt was a crushing effort to meet Activision's launch deadline. That there is a solid game to play at all is a fantastic achievement. But, every now and then, you can really tell Black Ops Cold War wasn't the smoothest op ever.

Black Ops Cold War is a clunky name for a fun setting. Treyarch's previous COD, Black Ops 4, suffered from a lack of a campaign, so it's good there's one this time around. COD campaigns, apart from offering solo players a handful of hours of explosive entertainment, ground each game, help solidify their aesthetic and hammer home their tone. Black Ops Cold War, a Black Ops 1 sequel set in the early '80s, certainly does that.

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Ubisoft removes Skull & Bones studio managing director named in sexual misconduct allegations

3 years 5 months ago

Ubisoft has reportedly removed another member of its senior management team - this time Hugues Ricour, the managing director of the publisher's Singapore studio, which is currently working on Skull & Bones - following the result of a "leadership audit".

Ricour was one of those singled out over the summer when multiple Ubisoft employees came forward with allegations of serious sexual misconduct aimed at senior members of staff. In reports by Gamasutra and Kotaku, sources accused Ricour of bullying, demeaning comments, retaliatory action, and sexual harassment - he's said to have made suggestive comments about female employees' clothing, and encouraged staff to kiss him at work events.

In a new email to Ubisoft staff seen by Kotaku, the publisher has now confirmed Ricour's removal from his current position, writing, "Effective immediately, Hugues Ricour is no longer Managing Director of Ubisoft Singapore. The results of the leadership audit that was conducted in the last few weeks by our external partners makes it impossible for him to continue in this position." It's unclear if Ricour remains with the company, however.

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Star Wars: Squadrons is getting B-Wings and TIE Defenders in December

3 years 5 months ago

Star War: Squadrons will be getting a pleasant helping of post-launch content after all, despite EA assertions to the contrary prior to release, and the publisher has now revealed it's prepping two juicy content updates for November and December, introducing, among other things, B-Wings and TIE Defenders to the multiplayer game.

We've seen EA deviating from its no-post-launch-content plans once already, of course, in the form of Mandalorian-themed cosmetics to celebrate the TV show's second season; EA's next additions, however, will be significantly meatier, beginning with a new update next Wednesday, 25th November.

This one starts by reworking Squadron's single-player Fostar Haven map for multiplayer skirmishes, and will be available in Fleet Battles and Dogfight modes. "Set in a remote, lawless area of space under the light of twin stars," explains EA, "this map has been updated from its story mode counterpart to provide a new experience that should fit well with the other six maps." Its action plays out across both crowded dockyards and open space.

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Paul W.S. Anderson's Monster Hunter movie finally looks like Monster Hunter in new trailer

3 years 5 months ago

It really shouldn't be hard not to screw up a Monster Hunter movie. After all, there aren't any fan-favourite characters to ruin, and there certainly isn't much of a story; all it really needs are big monsters, big weapons, lavish scenery, and, yes, big cats. So it's gratifying to see Paul W.S. Anderson's Monster Hunter movie finally being presented, in a new trailer for its Chinese release, as the kind of Monster Hunter movie fans of the series might actually want to watch.

Gone is the inexplicable emphasis on the US military seen in Sony Pictures' last Monster Hunter trailer, which largely seemed to suggest that everyone involved hadn't got even the faintest clue what Monster Hunter actually was, and in are a host of familiar elements that finally makes this cinematic spin on Capcom's long-running franchise feel like part of the same universe.

There are sweeping, fantastical landscapes that go beyond 'brown desert', there's a heaving menagerie of creatures that indicate Anderson did more research than a cursory glance at a Monster Hunter box cover, and we also get a brief tease of the Palico chef in his natural cooking habitat. There's even a welcome bit of humour, notably absent in the previous stony faced trailer, to go with all the prerequisite big weapons and action set-pieces.

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Apple is halving App Store fees for "vast majority" of developers

3 years 5 months ago

The very public spat between Apple and Epic Games over App Store fees has taken a particularly interesting turn today, as Apple has announced it's reducing its fees for some developers: but only for those earning less than $1m (£754k) in revenue per year.

The App Store Small Business Program comes into effect on 1st January, and will see fees reduced from the standard 30 per cent to 15 per cent for developers that qualify. The decision to halve fees should significantly benefit indie and small developers, with Apple saying the change will impact the "vast majority" of developers (via The Verge). New developers will qualify immediately, while others will need to apply based on their proceeds in 2020.

It's a major change for the App Store, but it's worth noting this will likely make only a tiny dent in Apple's earnings. App analytics firm Sensor Tower estimates that while the change will cover 98 per cent of companies that pay Apple a commission, these developers accounted for less than five per cent of the App Store's revenues last year (via The New York Times).

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art of rally's slick predecessor is coming to Switch

3 years 5 months ago

It's been a bit of a bumper year for racing games, with the likes of Hotshot Racing and Inertial Drift bringing back some arcade thrills - and up there with them was art of rally, the brilliantly stylish ode to Group B and beyond. You might well have seen that coming if you'd played developer Funselektor's Absolute Drift, which came out back in 2015 on PC before coming to other platforms - and it's finally coming to Switch early next month.

Absolute Drift Zen Edition is launching on Nintendo's system on December 3rd, and there's plenty you'll find familiar from art of rally, including a gorgeous minimalist style and a love for going sideways. It's a lovely thing, and I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with it in a couple of weeks' time.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla PS5 vs Xbox Series X - which copes best with 60fps?

3 years 5 months ago

For many, this is the most crucial of the next generation cross-platform comparisons. The new Assassin's Creed is a big game, cross-gen in nature for sure, but apparently built with the new wave of machines at least partly in mind. Valhalla also represents a generational shift for the franchise as this is the first time a new series entry arrives on consoles with a 60fps target - on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at least, delivered with varying levels of success. Ubisoft Montreal aims for complete platform parity between Sony and Microsoft's premium consoles, but the results when they do diverge are perhaps unexpected.

Anvil Next gets a revamp, but there is the sense that much of Valhalla's shift in aesthetic comes from the art side. In fairness, this can tap into the engine's strengths: a sizeable enough proportion of the rendering budget is spent on the volumetric clouds system, and there are some spectacular vista shots delivered in the new game. The inclusion of wintry terrain also sees the introduction of snow displacement, similar to what we've seen in the past in titles including Horizon Zero Dawn's Frozen Wilds expansion. Ultimately, the engine continues to provide the beautiful landscapes seen since the franchise shift that began with Assassin's Creed Origins, but hopefully the dense cityscapes of Unity can be revisited with the shift to next-gen. One bonus feature we're happy to see though: per-object motion blur arrives in Assassin's Creed for the first time.

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AMD RX 6800 and 6800 XT: limited pre-orders have begun

3 years 5 months ago

The RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT are now officially available for pre-order. Our RX 6800 and 6800 XT review shows that AMD's promise of high-end performance has been achieved, so expect a lot of demand for the new cards. In this article, we'll share the best places in the US and UK to pick up your new RX 6800 series card now that we've reached the 2PM GMT / 9AM ET November 18th release date.

So why is this card so hotly anticipated? Put simply, it's the first card in a long time that actually threatens to challenge Nvidia's dominant position in the graphics card market, the first cards that will actually go toe-to-toe with Nvidia's high-end cards. If you're building a mid-range to high-end rig, these are great choices with a reasonable degree of future-proofing, thanks to HDMI 2.1 support, 16GB of VRAM and RT capabilities too. There are also some neat features, like Smart Access Memory and Rage Mode which could boost performance further.

All that is to say that this card is expected to go fast, so here's what you need to know - and the web pages you should probably bookmark!

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Valhalla is the biggest Assassin's Creed launch ever

3 years 5 months ago

Assassin's Creed Valhalla shifted more copies in its launch week than any other game in the long-running series to date.

It has also been Ubisoft's best PC launch ever, with an "all-time record" for sales directly from Ubisoft's own digital store.

Valhalla is the 12th mainline Assassin's Creed game, and the third since it shifted genres and adopted a biannual release schedule.

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The newest Humble Bundle is full of indie darlings

3 years 5 months ago

One of the newest Humble Bundles contains a whole range of acclaimed indie games, including adorable platformer A Hat in Time, time-bending FPS Superhot, and relaxed barista-sim Coffee Talk. There really is something for everyone and every mood here, and the proceeds go towards Sweet Farm, a charity based around sustainable, compassionate farming on a global scale.

Of course, there's more than just those three games. As with many Humble Bundles, you can pay as much as you want, but there's tiered rewards based on how much you do choose to pay (these tiers are decided by how much people donate). They're outlined below as follows, though these numbers may change over time. If these look good to you, you can find the Bundle itself right here.

Pay £0.76 or more to earn:

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AMD RX 6800 and 6800 XT review: Big Navi means AMD is finally competitive

3 years 5 months ago

Welcome to the Red Team. That's the message that first greets you when you lift the lid on one of AMD's new Radeon 6000 series graphics cards, and it's fitting - after all, AMD's fans are some of the most die-hard in gaming, and these 'Big Navi' GPUs have been anticipated with almost messianic fervour by the community at large. Thankfully, all of that positive, memeable energy has found a worthy target in the RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT, two of the strongest creations by AMD's Radeon graphics team in some time.

Before we discuss how well these cards perform in a wide selection of games - and don't worry, there will be plenty of that - let's briefly set some expectations. At $580 (£530) and $650 (£600), respectively, the RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT slot in above the $500 (£450) RTX 3070 and below the $700 (£650) RTX 3080. That suggests we'll see an RTX 3070-beating performance out of the RX 6800, while the RX 6800 will do well to draw with the higher-priced Nvidia card. More importantly, it also means that AMD is finally competing at the high end of the graphics market once again, something the company hasn't done since the ill-fated Radeon 7 almost two years ago - and something it hasn't done successfully for many more years than that.

AMD's Big Navi graphics cards are in short supply, but here's where you'll be able to pre-order the Radeon RX 6800 and 6800 XT in the UK and US once stock arrives.

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Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity review - a hugely enjoyable, impressively authentic Zelda spin-off

3 years 5 months ago

Of all the musou spin-offs - Persona! Gundam! Fire Emblem! Was there a Birdo one or was that just another of my mundane dreams? - the most warmly received was surely 2014's Hyrule Warriors, a fulsome blend of Omega Force's overblown hack and slash adorned with all the baubles and trinkets of the Zelda universe. Its big trick was leaning into the authenticity, cramming as much fan service as possible into the Dynasty Warriors formula - so it makes sense that the follow-up doubles down on all that, to the point that Age of Calamity often feels nore like a legit new Zelda game than just another musou.

The set-up helps - taking place a century before Breath of the Wild, this is a prequel of sorts that gets to play with all the tools and toys introduced in Nintendo's 2017 masterpiece, and a bit more besides. Age of Calamity is a thing of some ingenious thrift - the kind of thinking essential in the global environment it was made in, no doubt - with assets lifted wholesale from Breath of the Wild, from character models to outfits to models to boss battles.

Locations are repurposed for Age of Calamity's sizable maps, delivering on the appetising premise of seeing the world of Hyrule before it was seized by disaster - a world more alive, and more populous, with thousands of invading enemies for you to mow down. You'll tear through minions that line the aquamarine walkways of Zora's Domain, scythe through armies lined up in formation outside the gates of Hyrule Castle, fight a Molduga and whole mobs of Gerudo out in the wastelands.

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Pokémon Go raises level cap in huge new Beyond update

3 years 5 months ago

Pokémon Go maker Niantic has detailed how it will raise the game's level cap for the first time since launch back in the summer of 2016.

The change comes as part of Pokémon Go's largest update yet - and the first one to be given a fancy name: "Go Beyond." Among the many other features included are the addition of seasons, a competitive league rank rework, platinum-level medals, and the first release of Gen 6 creatures from the Kalos region.

It all rolls out in the week beginning Monday, 30th November.

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PlayStation boss dodges God of War: Ragnarok PS5 exclusivity question

3 years 5 months ago

A week after the PlayStation 5's release in the US and other regions, we're on the verge of finally seeing Sony's new console launch in the UK. As we enter the crossover period for console generations, questions are being asked about exactly which titles will be exclusive to the PlayStation 5 - and in the case of God of War: Ragnarok, Sony doesn't seem ready to give an answer.

In an interview this week with the Telegraph [paywall], PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan refused to confirm PlayStation 5 exclusivity for the God of War sequel, explaining he had "nothing to say about that today".

Games such as Astro's Playroom, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and the Demon's Souls remake have already been confirmed as PlayStation 5 exclusives (the former serves as a free PS5 tech demo for the DualSense, Ratchet & Clank most likely needs the PS5's fast loading to teleport players, while Demon's Souls was released as a PS5 launch title). But in the case of several major first-party titles such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Horizon: Forbidden West, Sony has confirmed the games will be cross-gen.

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