Sonic Mania Plus, Sonic shoes, Sonic racing, and Sonic Adventures all confirmed

Sonic Mania Plus will have an art book, holographic color, and new features for the game.

Sega announced that they’ll be releasing Sonic Mania Plus at a Sonic panel at SXSW Gaming.

The game is a physical edition of the original Sonic Mania, but it’s a lot more than just a remake. For starters, you get the actual disc. Collectors and Sonic fans will appreciate this for sure. You also get to play as Ray and Mighty- two new characters not available in the original Sonic Mania. There’s also a new Encore Mode, four-player mode, and a very nice holographic game package to wrap it all up in. It also includes a 32-page art book and a SEGA Genesis reversible cover as well. It’s a lot of Sonic.

Sonic Mania Plus, Sonic shoes, Sonic racing, and Sonic Adventures all confirmed 1

The whole package will be available for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in Summer 2018. It’ll retail for $29.99.

Strangely enough, there was even more Sonic in places you’d have never guessed.

Sega has partnered with Puma to release Sonic shoes. That’s right. Sonic shoes. It’ll be called the PUMA x SEGA RS-0 SONIC and will be available in June 2018. Gotta go fast!

The panel also revealed that there’s a new Sonic racing game coming out in a short teaser trailer. It shows distorted frames of different vehicles before showing a silhouette Sonic Racing logo. The previous game was released in 2012 and featured Sonic with other Sega characters like Gilius Thunderhead and Alex Kidd in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The game has been confirmed to not be a sequel to any other game and will be its own new series.

Here’s the trailer for the Sonic racing game:

And for even more Sonic, there’s a new run of Sonic Adventures to be released this year as well. It’s a five-episode run that was released on Sonic’s Twitter account where he must stop Doctor Eggman from kidnapping animals in nature. Weird.

 

The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia (White Wolf) joins the roster in Soulcalibur VI

Soulcalibur VI will have Geralt from The Witcher.

Rumors surfaced last week that Geralt from The Witcher series would make an appearance in an unknown game’s roster.

Geralt is the protagonist of The Witcher games where he takes on many different monsters. He’s been genetically engineered to fulfill his quest in each of the 3 games that have been released.

Now, it’s been confirmed that the White Wolf of Rivia would be a playable character in the next Soulcaliber VI. The Witcher’s Twitter account confirmed the news that he would be “joining the playable characters roster of Bandai Namco’s Soulcalibur VI, with Kaer Morhen as a new stage!”

This is pretty awesome for Witcher fans being able to play as the badass himself and will be able to take on the classic roster with his trademark attacks and moves.

Namco also showed off a teaser trailer that shows him using his dual-wielded swords in action. One is used for humans and the other is for monsters. He also uses some of his Witcher abilities like Igni, Axii, and Aard. The trailer makes it seem like he’ll be a major factor since it’s spotlighting his cameo in the roster and the fact that he takes the game’s cover art as well. Soulcalibur has been doing this for a while with other legends like Link and Heihachi Mishima and even Darth Vader in Soulcaliber IV.

Guest fighters have always been a thing for the series. And fans dig it. They’re used in the plot and pay homage to their respective series. They’re not just for show (but they are a way to make money and get exposure- of course). Luring fans of other series into Soulcaliber. isn’t anything new.

Soulcaliber VI. rolls out some time in 2018. Details have yet to be released on the exact date.

Image via Namco.

Toki Tori coming to the Switch on March 30th (on-time for Easter)

Toki Tori is coming to the Switch.

Toki Tori is coming to the Switch this month in March.

Developed by Two Tribes announced that their infamous egg-collecting puzzle game is going to roll out on March 30 complete with HD rumble support and even a time rewind feature. The game will include over 80 levels in 5 unique worlds for players to take on and new challenges as well!

Toki Tori will run at a smooth 60 FPS and also take advantage of the video-recording capabilities.

The previous game was Toki Tori 2, which was released for the Switch earlier already in 2018. Toki Tori is the prequel to it and continues the egg-hunt craze. The previous game was released on Wii U, Game Boy Color, and 3DS. The Switch is the new home and fits perfectly with the eShop’s growing indie library and HD rumble controls.

The series is basically a puzzle game where you need to guide a bird character around a bunch of puzzles that are unique and requires a different approach to beat. you need to use a bunch of tools to solve the puzzles. You can warp, freeze, and even “InstantRock” to get all the eggs on each level. That’s the goal of the game.

The game will cost $4.99 at launch and if you pre-order, you can snag an extra 10% off as well. It’s available for pre-order right now.

Chucklefish is publishing a new strategy RPG called Pathway

Chucklefish is publishing Pathways- an indie turn-based RPG coming out in 2018.

Chucklefish announced that they’re publishing the strategy RPG called Pathway.

It’s being developed by Robotality and it’s a turn-based strategy RPG game based in the 1930s in the German military. Your partner Morten has vanished after investigating the Nazis. So you and your team go in and find him through many different locations. It has a basic storyline but a lot going for it in terms of gameplay and strats.

The game is procedurally-generated each time you play, so it’s always different and fresh. The game takes place in a variety of locations that are yours for discovering and uncovering. They’re pretty eerie looking. The game is rendered with gorgeous pixel artwork and offers a nice storyline to go with it. It’s a pixel and hybrid technology that gives a real feeling of depth to the environment.

The OST is composed by Gavin Harrison who has experience with Robotality’s games- like Halfway.

Each time you dive into a temple, you’ll have to strategize and plan your moves. It is a turn-based strategy game so you’ll have to decide and plan strategically to take down the baddies. As you explore and encounter bad guys, you’ll be familiarized with a combat system similar to the XCOM series where positioning, weapons, skills, and roles play a huge factor in your success.

Pathways will roll out for Mac, PC, Linux in late 2018. You can check it out on Steam or check out the official site for more info. If you like TBS, you should check out this indie game for sure.

Image via Chucklefish blog.

War Child Armistice Campaign reaches $250K

War Child gets double the support from the previous year.

War Child has raised over 250K in the second year of their War Child Armistice campaign after a press release.

If you’ve never heard of War Child, they’re a UK-based group that provides assistance to children in areas that are torn by war. The War Child Armistice campaign is the combined effort of the charity and game devs all around the world. They’ve been around since 1983 and has expanded to the USA, Canada, and The Netherlands. Lots of newer developers have heard of the good they’re doing and have dedicated some sort cash to directly help their campaign.

Some newer campaigns, dubbed RE-PLAY and HELP, will be assisted by some of the big AAA game companies. This should get their mission and goals out there worldwide with that much exposure.

In the previous year, the campaign raised $122,000 with the efforts of games like This War of Mne by 11 Bit Studios and other developers. It works usually in the form of exclusive DLC content that benefits the charity directly. Alongside direct donations and campaign efforts, the campaign is only increasing in impact.

This year, they’ve raised $260,094.82, which is double the amount from the previous year. This money will directly benefit children in war zones. They aim to solve short-term and long-term issues in areas of conflict. Some solutions include temporarily schools to provide education, reuniting families, and providng supplies.

They also aim to rebuild schools, provie vactional training, and training teachers as well.

You can check out their site for more information.

State of Decay 2 confirmed to have absolutely no microtransactions

State of Decay 2 will follow a typical DLC setup - most likely with any microtransactions.

State of Decay 2 will be free of microtransactions.

Jeff Strain, the boss of Undead Labs, has stated in a report to IGN that the game won’t have any microtransactions. State of Decay 2 is a huge and anticipated zombie survival game that’s the successor to State of Decay.

The game is planned for release on May 22, 2018 for Windows and Xbox One. It’ll be a Play Anywhere title as well and will be available for Game Pass on launch day (which is just $10 a month).

Instead of plugging the game with cash items, it’ll most likely follow a typical setup of using DLC instead. Players can appreciate this so the game won’t offer any pay-to-win advantages to paying players (or loot crates as well).

Get more info on the launch here.

Image via official site.

Brave Neptunia to be developed by Artisan Studios

Brave Neptunia to be developed by a Western company for the first time.

Compile Heart, the developer for the Neptunia series announced that they’re giving the task of developing a new game called Brave Neptunia to a company called Artisan Studios.

This company is based in Quebec and is working on the next 2D animated RPG. If you’re not familiar with the series, the first Neptunia is a game with beautiful art. The game has no info on their Artisan’s site. However, there is a teaser trailer floating around. It looks like some kind of 2D game with either turn-based fighting or some kind of procedural combat system. It doesn’t really look fully real-time, but it’s hard to tell from the video.

Artisan Studios is a new company that was created in 2017. They’ve made an appearance at the Tokyo Game Show and the Game Director for Brave Neptunia says that he was once employed at Kobojo, which in turn developed Zodiac: Oracnon Odyssey, which is a JRPG for mobile.

Brave Neptunia has been rumored to be planned for release on Xbox One, Steam, Switch, and PS4. There’s more info coming out in the April issue of Dengeki PS.

For fans of the game, sit tight. There’s going to be a lot more to reveal soon. Brave Neptunia should take the original Neptunia’s artwork and kick it up a notch.

Image via Artisan.

Bluepoint Games is working on another remake

Bluepoint is working on another remake- but the title is unknown at this point.

Bluepoint Games is working another remake for its next entry.

The popular developer announced it in an interview with Digital Foundry during a video spotlight on their recent AAA hit, Shadow of the Colossus. The game was recently released on PS4 as a remake of the original 2005 game. Even though it’s just a remake, fans went crazy over it and it received pretty positive reception.

That seems to be Bluepoint Games’ track record. They like remaking stuff and porting stuff to other platforms. They’ve also worked on games like the Uncharted: THe Nathan Drake Collection, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Gravity Rush Remastered. But unlike many other first-party companies who port or remake their games, Bluepoint does it right. They’re probably one of the best companies that specialize in the fine art of making a game and giving enough for fans to enjoy.

Fans have been wondering if they’ll ever make a new game from scratch- and it’s not likely. At least for the next title. Bluepoint seems to be comfortable doing what they do best. The PS4 remake of Shadow of the Colossus was amazing by using recreated HD graphics and a newer control scheme that just works better than the 2005 version. It captures the same gameplay even with new graphics and controls. In other words, Bluepoints does it right.

The next game will be a remake, but the title is still unconfirmed. Given their track record, we should not be disappointed.

You can check out the interview video here:

Félix “xQc” Lengyel mutually agrees to split with Dallas Fuel

xQc has agreed to mutually split with the Dallas Fuel and has parted with them on good word.

Félix “xQc” Lengyel and the Dallas Fuel have mutually agreed to part ways, based on a press release from the Overwatch League team.

The Dallas Fuel announced that they’ve agreed with xQc to split up after the League announcing some penalties against player xQc and two other players- and even a head coach on March 10, 2018. xQc was fined $4,000 and also suspended for four upcoming games.

What did he do? He used a Titch emote in a “racially-disparaging” manner in the show’s Twitch chat and also used the same language against some shoutcasters and other players in his own stream on Twitch. Before this incident, he was also fined $2,000 and suspended for four games as well- making that a total of 8 games and $6,000 in fines.

xQc talked about this issue on his own stream in the middle of a competitive match. He states:

“When you get signed onto a team, they sign you with a [work] contract or whatever, right? But then the league has to approve your entry, right? So the league would have to manually approve my re-entry into another team. And I don’t know about that, my dude. Listen, I think’s that unlikely, to be fair.”

He’s the first League player to leave the original twelve games of the season. The Dallas Fuel has also stated that they’ll be looking for another player to provide for the flexibility for xQc’s leave from their roster.

You can keep up with Overwatch League using their site.

Firmware version 5.0 rolls out to Nintendo Switch – get features and updates

Update 5.0 has rolled out!

The Nintendo Switch has updated to Firmware version 5.0.

The update has added numerous new improvements to the console and some new features. Friend Suggestions is a notable one, which is an engine that automatically suggests Facebook and Twitter friends by taking data from your social networks linked to your Nintendo Account.

it also adds a whopping two-dozen ARMS and Kirby user icons for you to show off your fandom. And there’s also the ability to filter the news content from specific channels- or even your unread news as well.

With the 5.0 update, all online purchases made by your phone, PC, or tablet will also start downloading a lot quicker than before. This is an awesome new improvement because it’s annoying to download a digital game and have to wait for it. Why not just go buy it in the store instead if you’re going to wait? And you get a notification of pre-purchased games when you’re ready to be played. This is the kind of update that shows Nintendo has been looking at user metrics to improve their firmware. Way better than guessing when a game is ready by checking the status of it. Now you can launch it right away from the dash.

Controllers have also been updated as well. The Controller menu shows the grip colors if you’re using a Pro Controller.

Lastly, the Parental Controls also got removed. The default way to input the PIN uses the control stick rather than the on-screen keypad. Capture videos in the album are also restricted based on the Restricted Software settings and Software Rating Organization. Games can also be added a safe whitelist in order to override these settings.

Image via Wikipedia.

Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII to release October 12, 2018

Black Ops IIII is set for release.

Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII has been announced and is set for release October 12th, 2018.

Publisher Activision has stated that the game is in development and has been confirmed for the rumored release date. The announcement was made after the game was teased by James Harden, pro basketball player. He was at a recent game dressed in full camo and a cap as well. The cap had an “IIII” logostylizedd in the Black Ops fashion with Roman numbers and font.

Developer Treyarch will be taking the reigns this time round after Sledgehammer Games on Call of Duty: WWII. This game will be the first CoD title to be released since CoD 2 which was released back in 2005 in the same month.

It’s unsure why these two companies used “IIII” instead of “IV” instead. But it was shown that the Birtish Museum revealed that both IV and IIII were both used during Roman times. It’s just that “IV” came into popularity in modern times as reported by Eurogamer.

Additional info will be relased on May 17th during a Community Reveal Event for fans. So far, the only information revealed is to “foget what you know” as stated on the CoD site. That’s pretty much it.

Black Ops III is still receving updates such as the Infected game mode and the Redwood Snow map also. Updates should keep hardcore fans busy until IIII rolls out.

Image via the official site.

Pathfinder Second Edition – Playtest Rulebook, new features, and updates!

Pathfinder Second Edition is coming soon!

Paizon, Inc., the developer behind their Pathfinder Tabletop Game has announced that it’ll be getting a second edition.

There will be an open playtest for version two of Pathfinder starting on August 2nd, 2018. Players will be able to read the Playtest rulebook, a Playtest adventure, and also a Playtest Flip-Mat Multi-Pack. All of these materials will be free of charge to any player that wants to join in on the cult-like Tabletop game. There’s a whole release schedule for all the materials.

The game first premiered back in 2008. It’s been a huge success with over a decade of materials for the game. There have been adventure paths, miniatures, and even Pathfinder Kingmaker developed by Owlcat Games.

Jason Bulmahn, Paizo’s Design Director, states that:

“We’re updating the game’s engine while also adding a bunch of fun new ways to play. There is a lot to discover, but you will never be far from the game you love – the game you helped us make.”

And:

“With the new edition, we have a chance to revisit some decisions we made with the first edition of Pathfinder.” 

All of the changes will be visible on their site. The majority of them aim to improve the game and also clean up outdated rules. Playing the game in timed blocks. Fighting enemies will be measured in seconds in Encounter Mode, and Exploration Mode will be measured in minutes to hours.

Paizo also stated that players will be able to get three actions during their turn in any combination- moving, drawing a weapon, and attacking all take a single action. Casting spells take two actions (for most). Some spells can use between one to three actions such as Magic Missile. Attacks also incur a penalty after your first action but still also give you a chance to hit. The second edition will be the same as the first one in terms of the mechanics and fundamentals. They don’t want to change the game too drastically.

Paizo wants players to take advantage of the free materials. There’s even a softcover, hardcover, and deluxe edition of the Playtest Rulebook print editions between March 20th and May 1st.

Get the inside scoop here.

Image via Paizo.

 

State of Decay 2 – Standard Edition/Ultimate Edition price, release date, and news

State of Decay 2 - Standard Edition/Ultimate Edition price, release date, and news 2

State of Decay 2 is due to release on May 22 for the Xbox One and Windows PC as a Play Anywhere title.

It’ll also be available on the Xbox Game Pass on launch day (an excellent value at $10/month).

Microsoft has also confirmed that it’ll be priced at $29.99 for the Standard Edition. The Gold Edition (or Ultimate Edition) will run you $20 more at $49.99- nothing too surprising other than it’s lower than the MSRP of first-party games developed by them.

State of Decay 2 is a zombie apocalypse simulator that originally came out on the Xbox Live Arcade in 2013. The game was awesome. The sequel will run on Unreal Engine 4 instead of the CryEngine that the former game used. It’ll also have multiplayer co-op and a lot more to get excited about for any zombie fans.

Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft GM of Games Marketing states:

“Our goal is to build a long-term relationship with the State of Decay community and to foster deeper experiences with the franchise. We believe State of Decay 2 accomplishes this goal by immersing fans in the ultimate zombie survival fantasy, and we want to give more players the opportunity to join in and experience this unique game.”

The ultimate edition includes State of Decay 2 includes early access on May 18 and also a free copy of State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition and the Independence Pack/Daybreak Pack DLCs as well- both of which will be announced at a later date.

For all fans who are looking forward to this game, there’s a lot to be excited about. The game looks amazing and offers a lot at a lower price. This is good news for those who were already planning to get this game. The Ultimate Edition is worth it if you were already looking to shell out full price. Now you can get in on the action for less than the original price.

You can check it out on the store here.

Image via Microsoft Store.

Microsoft announces new games for Xbox One enhanced

Microsoft announces new games for Xbox One enhanced 3

Microsoft announced another new batch of Xbox 360 titles that will be enhanced on the One X.

Major Nelson blogged that the four new games are Forza Horizon, Fable Anniversary, The Witcher 2: Assassin’s of Kings, and Crackdown. All of these games will be available on the One X with the new emulator to run them in 4K resolution from their original resolution at 1280 x 720p.

The new update also provides much better antialiasing and crisper textures as well. The games will look nothing like the original and if you’ve already played before, you may want to give them another try because the One X is experience is the real deal. Games like Crackdown can be played in their original graphics but will be enchanted by default. This will let you do a side-by-side comparison (almost) to see the difference in resolution.

This feature is exclusive to the One X and can’t be used on the Xbox 360 or Xbox One.

With the updated graphics, this could also cause some FPS issues. When you log into the menu, you can change whether to optimize the game for graphics or performance. This could mean that improved gameplay graphics will indeed lower the performance of the machine. It’s probably not powerful enough to run the game in 4K and has the original FPS, so you’ll have to choose one or the other. Unless this means the system is powerful enough, but you get to choose what and how you want to render the original games. perhaps it ties in with the whole option of playing the game in its former glory.

Microsoft announces new games for Xbox One enhanced 4
(Via majornelson.com.)

There have been many other titles that have the same updates as well- Fallout 3, Gear of War 3, Halo 3, Mirror’s Edge, Skate 3, Assassin’s Creed, and The Elder’s Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The compatibility to play older games with newer graphics is pretty awesome. Bill Stillwell, the Lead Project Manager for Xbox states in his post:

“We’re thrilled with the continued excitement for Xbox One Backward Compatibility—the community has played more than 840 million hours of Xbox 360 games on Xbox One. Compatibility is important to Xbox, to developers and their games, and our community. Preserving the art form of video games is part of our DNA, which is why Xbox One is the only console designed to play the best games of the past, present and future”

More than 460 Xbox 360 games and 13 original Xbox games are already backward-compatible.

Image via Major Nelson’s blog.

Carrion is a new “reverse horror game”

Carrion is a violent reverse horror game.

Carrion is a new “reverse horror game” that has you playing the role of the violent monster instead of the traditional format.

It’s a very gruesome, gory, and violent horror game that has you playing as this huge blog that wants nothing but human destruction. The game is made with old-school pixel art and is full of violence. The gameplay videos released so far has scenes where the player controlling the blob using its long tendrils to slowly crawl through an old lab and literally rip the scientists apart.

There’s also a skill system where you can upgrade your blobby activities like dashing, throwing, and of course, grabbing. Using these abilities is needed to get around barriers like fences, vents, and other things that may try to slow your alien blob down.

The game is played in a 2D sidescrolling format using a traditional point-and-click interface. The game features 16-bit graphics (or it appears so) and is detailed with grungy colors.

There’s also a splitting ability that divides you into two blobs and is needed unlock high-security doors that require two levers to be pressed.

So far, the game has no set release date. Carrion is a new twist on the old-school horror we’re accustomed to. You can check it out here.

Inside Xbox premiers this weekend at 12PM PT – Episode 1 is about Sea of Thieves

Inside Xbox is the new show to get all the newest updates.

Microsoft has announced that they’ll be premiering an exclusive new show called “Inside Xbox.”

It airs for the first time this Saturday, March 10 at 112PM PT. The first episode will be an exclusive behind the scenes look at Sea of Thieves. Rare will be there to talk about core concept designs that took place during the development of the game and how feedback from the beta helped revamped the game. They’ll also talk about what’s coming ahead in terms of post-launch content.

Inside Xbox is a monthly show that’ll probably air around the same time every month. Team Xbox will also talk about random announcements like new games, news, and even new additions to Game Pass- Xbox’s $10/month subscription service to many first-party games.

You can watch it on Twitch, Mixer, YouTube, and Facebook. Hosts include Larry Hryb, Jeff Rubenstein, Alex Hebert, Lydia Ellery, Graeme Boyd, and more.

Imag via Xbox Wire.

Carrion – A violent new “reverse horror” game where you’re the enemy

Carrion is a violent reverse horror game.

Carrion is a new “reverse horror game” that has you playing the role of the violent monster instead of the traditional format.

It’s a very gruesome, gory, and violent horror game that has you playing as this huge blog that wants nothing but human destruction. The game is made with old-school pixel art and is full of violence. The gameplay videos released so far has scenes where the player controlling the blob using its long tendrils to slowly crawl through an old lab and literally rip the scientists apart.

There’s also a skill system where you can upgrade your blobby activities like dashing, throwing, and of course, grabbing. Using these abilities is needed to get around barriers like fences, vents, and other things that may try to slow your alien blob down.

The game is played in a 2D sidescrolling format using a traditional point-and-click interface. The game features 16-bit graphics (or it appears so) and is detailed with grungy colors.

There’s also a splitting ability that divides you into two blobs and is needed unlock high-security doors that require two levers to be pressed.

So far, the game has no set release date. Carrion is a new twist on the old-school horror we’re accustomed to. You can check it out here.

Monster Hunter: World is Capcom’s best-selling game of all time

Capcom's best-selling game is now Monster Hunter: World.

Monster Hunter: World is a huge hit for Capcom.

It released 2 months ago back in January and it’s a huge commercial success. It’s a game that brings back the epic monster battles that only a few versions have been able to capture effectively. Capcom has announced that MHW is their best-selling game- of all time.

It’surpassed their Resident Evil 5 title which was the former best-selling game at 7.3m million copies. MHW sold 7.5 units and is still selling like hotcakes.

In a press release, Capcom stated that worldwide sales of the game are the best-to-date. Of course, shipping the game and selling it are to be distinguished, which Capcom states:

Monster Hunter: World has overcome both linguistic and cultural barriers to delight approximately 7 million players worldwide, and has shipped 7.5 million units”

So far, Monster Hunter: World has sold like crazy. Last month, it sold 6m units since launch and it’s still going strong making it a huge commercial success. It was released at the same time worldwide so everyone got in on the action simultaneously. It’s also the first game to be available on a console in almost decade. It’s good that they’re branching out from the handheld devices. Capcom states:

“Since the first Monster Hunter title made its debut 14 years ago in 2004, the series has attracted a dedicated fan base, and overall grown into a mega-hit with cumulative sales of more than 48 million units worldwide as of March 5, 2018.”

MHW has done an excellent job on recapturing what was once started. It’s good to have them back. If you haven’t checked out the game yet, you should. It’s an epic adventure that no other game can reenact. It’s a one-of-a-kind game.

Image via press release.

New Quicksilver Slimes are crazy fast- Mochi’s Megabucks coming March 13 (get the deets)

Slime Rancher update.

Monomi’s Park hit title, Slime Rancher, is getting another awesome slime-filled area for ranchers to explore!

The Mochi’s Megabucks update is rolling out on March 13 and will add lots of goodies to new and familiar players alike. The theme of the update is “speed,” as the area is named Nimble Valley (appropriately). It’s an area that’s dense with trees and mountains and owned by none other than Mochi Miles. There will also be a new slime dubbed the Quicksilver Slimes, which are known for their quickness and ability to zip around ranchers at lightning-fast speeds.  They can match and beat your own movement speed- with ease!

Miles will give you some nice new vac-tech features to help you catch up and vacuum Quicksilver Slimes, such as the ability to launch sticky adhesive bubbles from your gun. If you do manage to hunt down a few and capture them, they eat electricity.

The Mochi Megabucks update also includes a new mode called Rush Mode. It’s basically a contest where you collect as many Newbucks as you possibly can within 5 days. If you play efficiently, you can extend it pretty far. If you play well, you’ll also have a few incentives given to you as rewards to explore the area. There will also be leaderboards to show your Rush Mode scores against other players.

The devs also plant o work on 2 other confirmed updates that are based on science. One is called the Automatic Update (1.3.0) and the other is Viktor’s Experimental Update (1.4.0) which will bring drones and VR to the game. There will also be another mode called Iron Rancher Mode which takes place in 1.4.0 which gives players to paly the game on a harder difficulty with new rules, challenges, quets, and even vamrpirc chickens.

You can check out their post on Steam here.

There’s a lot coming for Slime Rancher. Get happy and get some Golds.

Image via Steam.

Doomfist, Mei, and Sombra get buffed in newest Overwatch patch

Overwatch patch buffs Doomfist, Mei, and Sombra.

Doomfist, Mei, and Sombra have all been buffed in the recent patch for Overwatch.

The game’s official patch notes posted on the Overwatch forums states that the 3 characters had their changes in testing on the PTR for the past 2 weeks. The changes in this patch have just slid past any filters and no adjustments had to be made.

Doomfist only had a single buff- his ammo recovery rate dropped from 0.80 seconds to a mere 0.65 seconds. Mei’s freeze duration has been increased by 50% to deal with the fast-moving heroes. And the cost of ammo for her icicle attack has also been reduced by 5, which means she gets 2 extra shots before reloading again.

Sombra is the one that takes the gold. She had a lot of buffs in her stats. Her EMP won’t be blocked by obstacles in the map like rocks, lamp posts, and signs.

She’ll have a harder time gaining her Ultimate though- players using her HP packs won’t give her gain. Her standard hack cast time has also been reduced from 0.80 to 0.65 seconds and also adds a few disables. Genji’s Cyber Agility, Pharah’s Hover Jets, Hanzo’s Wall Climb, Mercy’s Angelic Descent are all able to be disabled by Sombra.

And her machine pistol has also been improved in accuracy by lowering the spread to 2.7 from 3.0. Additionally, her translocator has a 5-second duration increase and she can view enemy HP bars through walls if they’re below 100% HP.

Sombra players have plenty to look forward to in this new patch.

Blizzard World also got some HP placements adjusted and bug fixes were patched as well.

Overwatch League is still in full swing and may be added near part 3 of the Season’s offerings.

It’s a good time to be an Overwatch underdog.

Image via Overwatch Wiki.

ESRB adds an “In-Game Purchases” label to its rating system

ESRB adds a new label to games.

With all the craze about loot crates going around, the ESRB has decided to add a new “In-Game Purchases” label to any physical game that requires it.

Some countries have outright banned the use of random crates whereas other approaches require developers to list the exact percentages of getting a particular loot. Even the Danish government has concluded that items in crates are considered a form of gambling if such items can be traded.

It’s no wonder the ESRB has stepped in being one of the largest regulators in the US.

In a recent Tweet, they stated that the new label will warn any new buyers of potential microtransaction in the game. This includes any “bonus levels, skins, surprise items (such as item packs, loot boxes and mystery rewards), music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, upgrades and more.” This applies to digital purchases as well if they have any of the above portions included in the game.

The ERSB has also set up a resource to help parents who are worried about their children and the cash they’re spending on virtual goods. The page provides links to guides to set up parental controls for nearly every console, platform, and media distribution platform in existence.

This is just the start. They’ve also stated that they’ll make adjustments as the need arises. With the world of media transactions becoming easier and easier to access and use, it’s only necessary that the ESRB steps in. I mean, that’s what they’re all about- regulation and helping parents.

Loot crates- pain or not?

Image via esrb.org.

 

Nintendo removes user reviews for its games on its official pages

Nintendo removes user reviews on its official pages for its games.

Nintendo recently added a new option for players to leave reviews on Nintendo Switch games directly on their home site.

however, they quickly removed it shortly after. The feature to leave user reviews was only available for about 5 days after its launch. Customer reviews for the console still exist, but the games reviews are gone.

Only a small blurb of info is still available in the remnants of what was once user-generated content on their site:

“Customer reviews have been taken offline as we evaluate this feature and its functionality. We currently have no estimated date on when an update will be provided. We appreciate the positive response and thank the reviewers who provided such thoughtful commentary on the games.”

Nintendo said it’s just a “trial” in a statement to Polygon and that it may be revamped and returned, but there’s no guarantee as of now. This has many players annoyed and itching for a new review system where they can simply type out their thoughts rather than use preselected tags and categories for the game.

Square Enix’s Chrono Trigger for PC gets a “mostly negative” reception

Chrono Trigger for Steam is negatively reviewed.

Square Enix has decided to release Chrono Trigger on Steam.

This is the first time the game has ever had a PC version (other than emulators). The game promises exclusive features such as updated graphics and soundtrack as well as the bonus dungeons from the mobile handheld versions. It’ll be called the definitive version of the series- though they may want to rethink that.

If you’ve never played Chrono Trigger games before, it’s probably one of the most popular JRPG series. It was created by devs from Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and even Dragonball all coming together to tell the tale of a boy who fights against an evil threat named Lavos. The game is very flashy and combines the traditional ATB system with some unique abilities in an awesome JRPG adventure.

The game so far isn’t doing too well. It’s rated “most negative” on Steam with over 150 reviews at the time fo this writing. Reviewers state that it’s pretty much just a bad port of the mobile version with terrible filters and awesome UI and controls. Lots of the issues can’t be fixed and the game is pretty much trashed left and right nonstop from hardcore fans of Chrono Trigger.

I’d suggest you read them over before buying it. Seriously.

If you buy it before April 2, 2018, you’ll get a slew of goodies including HD wallpapers from the game, a digital version of the composer’s liner notes, and even a special musical medley. This version of the game will be an updated version of the mobile version of the game. Although this isn’t too exciting, it should be a pretty solid improvement with all the promises they’re making.

Being on a computer for the first time is indeed kinda weird. It’ll be compatible with controllers for those not used to playing such a game on a keyboard and mouse, though you can still play it with a keyboard/mouse combo if you’re daring enough. It’s available right now for just $14.99 for Steam.

Image via Steam.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil are coming to Xbox One

Turok 1 and 2 are coming to Xbox One!

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 2: Seed of Evil are coming to the Xbox One on March 2, 2018!

If you’ve never played either of these games, you’re missing out. They were a pair of dinosaur shooters on the N64 back in the day and were known for their violence, difficulty, and dinosaur-blasting action.

The game originally got its start from a comic book back in the 1970s about a Native American warrior who’s on a mission in a world of dinosaurs and aliens. The comic book originally had his name as Turok, which is the name that became the title of the game. The name actually then evolved into a title of a hero who protects the border between two worlds- the Lost Land and Earth.

Nightdive Studios is the team behind the Xbox One version of Turok. It’s a remake rather than a whole new game (although I’m sure players would be just fine with a console remake of the best dino hunter games of all time!).

They tweeted that the game is confirmed and on-track for release.

You play as Turok and you need to get all the fragments of a Chronoscepter artifact which has the power to combine both worlds by destroying the barrier between them. This would be bad as then aliens and dinosaurs could walk the Earth.

Turok is on a mission to stop the Chronoscepter from falling into The Campaigner’s grasp. This is the first game.

The second game has Turok trying to stop an alien invasion known as the Primagen by taking down pyramid-like energy totems throughout a whole bunch of different worlds. This is the one on the N64 I remember the most. It was difficult, fun, and crazy all at the same time. The violence was top-notch for games back in the day. I think it even had a warning label on it.

Nightdive Studios has been working on a remake of System Shock for a while, but then went on hiatus.

As of now, they’re committed to pushing out the release of both Turok games for the Xbox One set to release early March 2018. If you’re a fan of the series, or have never played Turok, get these games. It should be an awesome nostalgic adventure.

Image via Nightdive Studios.

Ubisoft censors all nude statues in ACO’s Discover Mode

ACO has been censored.

Ubisoft’s Assissn’s Creed Origins newly updated Discovery Mode has been censored!

If you want to explore ancient Egypt, there’s probably no other better (digital) way than using none other than ACO’s Discovery Mode. It’s like a virtual tour of the city, environment, and landmarks. It was launched on February 20th and lets you just explore the world where hours of work went into recreating. It took over 4 years of research just to create the world you breeze through and is as historically accurate as possible to a virtual representation of Giza.

Sadly, Ubisoft has gone in and censored a fine detail that I honestly thought videogames have pushed through- nude representation. They’ve gone ahead and censored all the nude states in the game with seashells so that now they’re pretty much PG-13. In the world of art, this is blasphemy. Even in ancient times, this was acceptable. But now, it’s not, even though many other games leave nudity in the game.

The change wasn’t forced or the result of an action. It’s probably just Ubisoft trying to prevent any issues down the line by people who may complain. This is going too far. Look at the world we live in. Who’s to blame? It’s art, people.

Rhode Island could be charging a 10% tax on violent videogames

RI game tax for violet videogames.

All games that are rated “M” or above may now soon get a 10% “violence tax” for all gamers in Rhode Island.

What do you think about that? What’s this world coming to?

A Rhode Island legislator announced that he plans to introduce legislation that taxes violent videogames. An additional 10% tax would be placed on games that are rated “M” or higher by the ESRB.

Of course, the publisher doesn’t pay for this- the consumer in RI does.

State Representative Robert Nardolillo III (R-Dist.28, Coventry) plans to use the generated tax revenue to improve school counseling programs.

He states:

“Our goal is to make every school in Rhode Island a safe and calm place for students to learn. By offering children resources to manage their aggression today, we can ensure a more peaceful tomorrow,” said Rep. Nardolillo’s press release.

He also states that states can’t ban violent games to minors. The state of California has already enacted a law that allows the state to ban sales of M-rated games to minors and additional labels beyond the traditional ESRB ratings.

But then the Supreme Court later repealed that law stating that videogames are protected by the First Amendment, so the ban was lifted. So instead of banning them, he wants to tax them- probably the next best thing.

There is currently no text for the proposal and is still be drafted by legal counsel at this time.

There will a lot of opposition not just from gamers, but probably also the Entertainment Merchant’s Association, game developers, publishers, and even the court. You can tell this is just another internet meme in the making.

What do you think? Is this justified or ridiculous?

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Overwatch League Season 1 – Part 2 now underway with more freebies

Unlock skins and Tokens just by watching the stream.

Overwatch League has taken off and really has become quite a success.

Now, viewers of the League can get free League Tokens. All you need to do is watch the streams on Twitch and you can get some cool new skins as well by Cheering during matches. This offers fans of the game some new ways to cash in on their favorite hero shooter (and gives Blizzard a huge marketing opportunity as well- not to mention tons of exposure).

The giant announced that hundreds of in-game skins for the 12 teams before the season began. This was part 1.

Now part 2 starts today and even more goodies and freebies will be given out to viewers. League Tokens are probably the highlight of the second session.

All you need to do is just link your Battle.net account to your Twitch account. You get 1 Token upon viewing the conclusion of a map in a match. If you watch the whole match, you can early 12-15 Tokens a night based on 3 matches and how they rule out. And some fans will even get awarded 100 bonus Tokens just for watching on the final maps for each match. This is Token galore.

You can get some sweet skins by using these Tokens to unlock them. 100 Tokens = 1 free skin.

As for the Cheering, you can also get a few new skins as well. When people cheer for a team, there’s a counter that increases until the skin is unlocked. When it becomes available, everyone can attain it. Exclusive emotes are also unlockable by Cheering as well.

You can refer to their FAQ page for more info.

For additional info and schedules, check here.

Image via Twitch.

Cities: Skylines for Xbox One finally gets mod support

Cities: Skylines for Xbox One is getting mod support.

Cities: Skylines is getting some mod support for Xbox One.

It’s always been a game that’s mod-friendly for the PC crowd, but not so much for the console crowd (as with most games that can be modded). Cities: Skylines allows players to create mods that can pretty much change any aspect of the game.

The modding community behind it isn’t just some dozen modders with a small playerbase of people. It’s actually quite robust and even profitable for modders.

According to a post on the Xbox Wire, console players will be able to get in on the modding chaos.

Modded content will also come in a Content Creator Pack which will include some buildings created by the best modders to add to your city. There will also be a free content update coming on March 6 that’ll add some feature to host your own sports team as well.

Neudinger of Paradox Interactive states that mods are something that Paradox fans expect from games:

“We’ve been working together with Tantalus to see if there was a way to bring mods to our console players that was as enjoyable as it has been on other platforms, and with help from the Xbox team, we’re ready to let our fans give mods a try in Cities: Skylines.

The game has always had mod support for PC, but now Xbox players will be able to play with mods on Cities: Skylines Xbox One Edition with the ability to easily integrate user-created mods in the Xbox edition. Not all of the mods will be available, but a few select ones will.

The mods that have been chosen to be available for Xbox have been handpicked by the game’s devs. They’bve been tested for compatibility and should work right in the mod browser which just rolled out in an update a few days ago. Colossal Order will also expand mod offerings to console players if this becomes a success.

The game is already available on the Microsoft Store. If you’ve been waiting to get in on this AAA title, you can grab it for just $40 for Xbox or $30 for PC via Steam.

Image via Steam.

Battlefront 2’s 1.2 patch is live – see what’s new

Patch 1.2 is out!

Star Wars Battlefront 2’s new update rolls out with plenty o’ fixes all around.

DICE has released the 1.2 update for its infamous Battlefront 2 title, which includes a few significant changes to the game.

For starters, the game’s roster has been changed. Emperor Palpatine and Chewbacca have both gotten nerfed while Skywalker and Versio have been buffed. Trooper classes and some Hero classes’ dodge roll has also been redone with minor nerfing to stop the huge invincibility period.

Some profile milestones have also been optimized as they’re now claimed automatically when you complete them.

The limited-time Jetpack Cargo game mode is also released.

Some patches have been made as well to fix old bugs, but new bugs were introduced as well. The 1.2 patch update has an issue with weapon attachments that buff cooling capabilities don’t work correctly. The Explosive Shot attachment also has unlimited heatsink- meaning that it doesn’t raise the heat level in the weapon correctly as well. This makes it very OP. Can anyone smell a hotfix soon?

There are also some new maps players can utilize in Arcade matchups such as Hoth, Jakku, Endor, etc. There’s also been a bump in credits for duplicate items in loot boxes as well. The 1.2 patch seems to be in favor of the players and is a huge crowd-pleaser.

There was also confirmation of a new series of skins for select characters (Skywalker, Solo, and Leia) based on their Hoth outfits from The Empire Strikes Back. These outfits will be permanent according to the patch notes.

Image via official site.

Sunless Skies’ Exploration update adds some much-appreciated features

Sunless Skies gets a new update that encourages you to explore.

Sunless Skies got a new update on January 31, 2018 called “Exploration.”

If you’ve never heard of this game, it’s pretty much the sequel to Sunless Sea. You’re the captain of a spacefaring locomotive and you need to travel between distant ports. You talk with NPCs, hear stories and news, and even trade cargoes. It’s all about exploration between the ports and resource management. Your team also has a loyalty meter and you’ll have to avoid mutiny.

Your action heavily influences the game’s outcome by your decisions and also switch between different vessels as well. You’ll have to fave pirates and more in the skies. You can also recruit your team as well.

You can check out more information about the game here on Steam.

The latest update allows the gathering of items around the map and the discovery of Spectacles. You can find anything from sky rocks to honey. There’s also the introduction of the Pitchkirk from Old Tom’s Well, which allows you to complete the Rite of Wrongs to modify their skills. The update adds some atmosphere to the game and some new music cues and visual effects to Terror. The headlights and foglights have also been updated so you can tell which part of the environment is scenery so you’ll stop crashing into, and it’ll help in targeting.

Docking is also much easy and automatic as well. The musical additions to the game also help ramp up the immersion of the game.

Another update isscheeudled for the end of Febraryw with combat and movement updates. Then the ALBION update rols out to add a new region to the game. Sit tight for this one. It’s gonna be the most-anticipated one yet.

Image via Steam.