Taco Gun lets you blow up your friends in local multiplayer coming on May 17th

Taco Gun lets you blow up your friends in local multiplayer coming on May 17th 1

Taco Gun, developed by Floating Island Studio, is coming to Steam on May 17th, 2018.

If you like local couch multiplayer, this may be a game you want to check out. You play as a character who’s been hardened by society in a world where bullets are food. Standoffs with pistols are a common thing and taco shells need to be dodged with precision. Food is everywhere, but the world you live in is very difficult to survive in. That’s where Taco Gun comes in.

You’re packed with weapons such chili peppers, coconuts, and other foodstuffs on your adventure. You need to shoot your enemies before they can shoot you. There are 8 levels you can try out, each with their own environments that have some hiding places, but you need to find safe places to protect yourself. There are 7 characters to pick that each have their own abilities and play styles. The game is difficult to explain, so watch the video below.

It’s a party game where you need to destroy your friends in local multiplayer. You can choose from between 2 to 4 individuals and choose which character or level you want to destory before starting the match. You can get pretty creative with the combinations. You can mix chili suances or use powerups to throw a bunch of tacos and have them rain from the skies.

If this sounds like your type of game, you can check it out on Steam and get more info about it. It looks like a pretty interesting game that could be hit-or-miss.

Airport security sim TSA Frisky taking flight on May 17, 2018

Airport security sim TSA Frisky taking flight on May 17, 2018 2

Out There Entertainment’s new TSA Frisky got a release date.

It’s coming out on May 17, 2018 for PC. It’s a VR title that comes with a single-player campaign where you play as a TSA agent and you need to keep everything in order at the airport. You need to make sure all passengers aren’t carrying prohibited items by rummaging their luggage. You’ll have to frisk, watch, ID, scan, and search passengers to find drugs, illegal goods, food, weapons, and even prohibited liquids. It’s a difficult job and it ain’t easy being the TSA guy.

One thing you’ll have to watch out for is your stress meter. If it maxes out, it’s game over. You need to get all passengers through check-in while keeping your stress low- ’cause you know, stress is bad.

TSA Friskyalso has a nice upgrade system where objectives and goals are both available to players looking to improve their skill as a virtual TSA agent. Each shift unlocks new equipment and getter tech as well.

Remy Bustani, a founder of Out There Entertainment, states:

[The team] liked the idea of taking the dreaded security check at the airport and use VR to really exploit the fun in that, VR is a unique platform and gives us as developers the tools to take something out of real life and make something fun out of it.

The game will come out for PC and supports VR systems like Windows Mixed Reality, Occulous Rift, and HTC Vive. You can try a demo of the game on Steam.

See UPS’s Toy-Con-Trainer made with Nintendo Labo

See UPS's Toy-Con-Trainer made with Nintendo Labo 3

Nintendo Labo has finally launched last week and its course for global domination has begun.

Labo is Nintendo’s cardboard approach to have players create their own cardboard creations using the Switch to code them if necessary. It’s like Nintendo’s form of the Raspberry Pi. Guess who jumped on ship? UPS.

They’ve decided to show off their own creation- the Toy-Con-Trainer on its Twitter account.

It shows off a custom carry case designed to move each of Labo’s individual toys- just like a logistics company would. The Toy-Con-Trainer was designed by UPS themselves, so it’s not officially a Nintendo product. Fans have already requested the blueprints for the build so they can build it themselves. Third-party support for the Labo? Probably.

Labo comes in two kits- the Robotic Kit which allows you t interact with sister robots using the Switch. The other is the Variety Pack which features a bunch of awesome things like a fishing rod. Users can create their own peripheral using the Toy-Con Garage if they don’t want to follow a guide. There will also be a competition for players who want to create their own toys.

Nintendo also revealed prices for replacement parts which allows you to buy single parts instead of the whole set.

Patch 1.0.6 adds a founder’s edition limited-edition rifle

Patch 1.0.6 adds a founder's edition limited-edition rifle 4

the newest update to Sea of Thieves adds a new limited-edition rifle. And it’s awesome.

It’s a “launch crew” rifle added in the 1.0.6 patch. Specifically, it’s called the “Launch Crew” Eye of Reach rifle for only the next two weeks. It’s a founder’s edition rifle and will cost just one Gold, according to the forum.

Rare has also reduced Skeleton accuracy when shooting cannons from stands at long distances. Regional stock is also being changed with shopkeepers in different regions now only having specific item sets. This will help reduce mistimed deliveries. The bell on the small ship has been moved to the other side of the ladder as well. This is to reduce accidentally bell-rining. Rare also changed the position fo the ammo crates on the sloop and galleon.

There will also be new cosmetic outfits as well. Rare also address the flying ships bug and other issues as well.

There are also a few other quality-of-life improvements in the patch. See the full patch notes post for more details.

Sea of Thieves will be getting weekly new content as well. It’s a good time to be a pirate indeed.

Spartan Fist coming May 15th to Steam; it’s a “first-person puncher”

Spartan Fist coming May 15th to Steam; it's a "first-person puncher" 5

Spartan Fist launches May 15th on Steam.

Developer Glass Bottom Games has confirmed it in a press release. Spartan Fist is a first-person puncher game where players take control of a character named Emma Jones- a detective looking to make some big bucks quickly. Emma looks for the ultimate cash prize by entering the arena of Spartan Fist.

If you’ve played other games by Glass Bottom Games, you’ll notice the characters are a continuation of previous games like Hot Tin Roof: The Cat that Wore a Fedora and Jones On Fire. But the game doesn’t require any previous knowledge to play, so you’re okay if not.

There was also a new trailer released about the game which shows off some of the gameplay and unique blocky artwork that was used in previous games by the same developer. You can use fist-based weapons like “kitty fist” or “rock fist” which changes how your character punches. Every playthrough will be unique when the game is restarted.

The artwork is one to behold. It’s gory, violent, and awesome, but all done in a colorful array of blocky voxel goodness.

You can buy it on Steam for $15.

Call of Juarez Gunslinger back on Steam

Call of Juarez Gunslinger back on Steam 6

Call of Juarez Gunslinger is coming back to Steam.

Developer Techland secured the rights to the game from giant Ubisoft. Actually, they resecured the rights to both Call of Juarez Gunslinger and Call of Juarez The Cartel. If you visit the Steam page right now, you can see Gunslinger back on Steam fully under the ownership of Techland Publishing. And they’ve removed the manual and a link to Ubisoft as well. The game is fully back in play.

You can snag the game right now for 33% off until May 4th or even play a quick demo of it. This news only applies to the PC version of the game. PSN still has a page but you can only whitelist the game for now. Xbox still has it up for purchase and works for both Xbox One and Xbox 360 under Ubisoft.

Only Gunslinger has been revived. The Cartel is still under Ubisoft’s control. Techland hasn’t spoken whether or not the game will come back to the marketplace.

PC Building Simulator sells over 100,000 copies; Updates on the way

PC Building Simulator sells over 100,000 copies; Updates on the way 7

PC Building Simulator is probably the hottest simulator game in town.

It sold over 100K copies according to a press release from the developer. The game is constantly being updated and is a viral hit among PC or simulator game enthusiasts.

It’s a game by Claudiu Kiss and The Irregular Corporation where you need to fix, upgrade, and build PCs for guests. Players run their own computer repair shop and need to service customers who come in with issues with their PC. It gets pretty difficult in the later levels of the game as the problems get more and more advanced. The game has players doing everything from fixing them to building new ones from scratch.

The game scored licensing deals with many major companies like GeForce and EVGA. Their brands are represented in the game with true-to-life models of their parts. It’s been in early access since March 27th, 2018 and has sold over 100,000 copies so far. The success is amazing and there are more updates on the way.

PC Building Simulator is on Steam for just $19.99. The game’s well worth its price if you’re a computer enthusiast. A lot more updates are on the way and planned for the game, according to the company behind it. It’s surprising no other company has thought of this idea yet given that it’s such a widely popular hobby.

Science Adventure game Steins;Gate 0 launching on May 8th

Science Adventure game Steins;Gate 0 launching on May 8th 8

Steins;Gate 0 will launch on May 8th, 2018.

Spike Chunsoft is releasing its original Japanese game with an English translation. It’s the fourth main game to be released in English, following the English translation for the PS4 and PS Vita. And it’ll finally be on the PC as well. The game will have a special 10% discount on Steam if you’re an owner of Steins;Gate, which will bring the price to about $36.

The game takes place where the previous game left off. One of the alternative endings of Steins;Gate leaves a story to be continued. Steins;Gate 0 has players continuing the time-traveling saga with Okabe Rinataro looking for the person he can’t find. In this new game, you’ll have to deal with Amadeus, the AI that attempts to correct his past mistakes as well as the possibility of WWIII. It takes a much more serious tone compared to the previous game.

It’ll have multiple storylines that are completely separate and a ton of side-stories as well. You’ll be making decisions by replying to text messages. However, this is completely up to you and your decisions completely affect the outcome of the game.

Steins;Gate Elite will also launch later this year which will combine both the original visual novel and anime adaptation of Steins;Gate. There’s currently an anime adaptation of the game airing online as well. When Elite rolls out, expect a price drop for both the original and 0.

Chucklefish’s new game Eastward announced for PC and Mac

Chucklefish is working on a new RPG adventure game.

Chucklefish is working on a new game named Eastward.

They’re the people behind titles like Starbound and Stardew Valley. Eastward is another pixel art adventure game that has both RPG elements in a post-apocalyptic world. It’s has a 90s style feel developed by Pixpil, a small indie studio in Shanghai, China. Chuckelfish is making their own engine for the game.

it’s based on the artwork of Hong Moran with an eerie touch of wasteland. The company announced the game on its Twitter account and also released a trailer for it as well.

You’ll be playing as a “digger” in a world where the human population has been wiped out. You’re just a worker but you find a secret facility with a girl encaged within. You get exiled from your village and you want to save the girl and help her escape. But you’ll encounter possible dangers from mobs and other creatures lurking in the world.

The artwork for the game looks very appealing and it has that special touch that only Chucklefish can replicate. It makes you want to dive right in and just start playing the game and get absorbed into its colorful world.

No release date has been announced for Eastward. yet. It’ll be available on PC and Mac, but may creep its way onto consoles later on. Get more info on the official page for it.

Either way, this looks like an exciting new entry for their excellent lineup of games so far.

GOG Galaxy now has user profiles – friends, activity, and game tracking stats

GOG players now have user profiles, according to a news post on their site.

If you’ve never heard of GOG, they’re Good Old Games. That’s the name of their company and they focus on DRM-free gaming. All their games are downloadable and don’t require another third-party launcher (like Steam) to run. That’s their gig and what they do best.

Now, they rolled out user profiles for their desktop client. Yes, they have a client. It lets you launch their games you purchased but doesn’t make it a DRM platform. It now has privacy settings for user profiles and allows users to choose who can see their activity, friends list, and own games. Each profile is split into different parts just like Steam. You have your recent activity, updates from friends, recently played games with your friends and other activity. There’s also stats like time played, unlocked achievements, and of course, your personal friend’s list.

But you don’t need to use their client if you don’t want to. A lot of their games work without the platform itself and you can just download it and play it like the good ol’ days. Some gamers want a game that’s literally plug and play without the whole DRM setup.

Regardless, if you’re a fan of GOG Galaxy, you can appreciate the new features in their platform and the constant improvement they’re going through to make it better over time. It’s hard being a DRM-free platform once you introduce your own platform. They’re doing this carefully to stick to their mantra. Either way, it’s a good time to be a GOG fan.

Retro action platformer Fox N Forests releases on May 17th

Fox N Forests is an SNES-era inspired retro platformer.

Fox N Forests will be coming out to PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PS4 on May 17, 2018.

It’s a retro action platformer made by Bonus Level Entertainment and published by EuroVideo. The game was originally funded in 2016 on Kickstarter where it successfully brought in enough capital to build the game. It’s inspired by classic games like Super Ghouls N Ghosts and other similar 16-bit platformers.

The game is described as being “inspired by the classic SNES era” by Bonus Level Entertainment. It takes gameplay elements from Zelda and Castlevania, amongst others. You play as a fox with a crossbow which allows him to switch between two seasons instantly. It also allows you to change the level based on the season you’re currently in which can alter the platform such as freezing water paths or jumping across leaves in winter or autumn. The game also has a nice soundtrack that’s rather catchy and has old-school artwork like you’d expect from the same era.

It’ll be their first project and it’ll be released under EuroVideo’s label Wild River.

They released a video that highlights one of the game’s levels called “Fungus Forest” which you can check out:

Source: TechRaptor.

Tencent and Wizards working on Magic: The Gathering Arena

Tencent and Wizards partner up.

Wizard of the Coast, the developer of the original Magic: The Gathering Online back in 2002, they went ahead and set forth for the next game in the series.

They’ve built games with Stainless Games over the years, such as Magic: The Gathering – Duels of Planeswalkers and Magic Duels: Origins. They did okay, but game reception was poor. Now they’ve decided to set up an in-house development studio called Magic Digital Studio for their next game.

Magic: The Gathering Online won’t be retired. But it will be designed to focus on an engaging and dynamic experience that’s true to playing the actual card game. It allows players and viewer to both watchers exciting and less confusing matchups. It also focuses on new sets with no backward compability for older card sets from previous games.

The game is said to integrate both:

“integrate modern online services that will create a dynamic overall experience and also someday integrate with other aspects of your Magic life.”

They’ve partnered up with Tencent to help bring Magic to more gamers “throughout the world.” Chris Cocks, the West Coast President states that he wants to bring the game to western players as it is in Asia, where the dominant playerbase resides.

Steven Ma, Senior VP of Tencent’s Interactive Entertainment Group states that it’s a “legendary game and has had a huge influence on culture and industry” and that they’re “thrilled to bring this amazing experience to players in Asia and look forward to helping expand its global community.

They also have plans to bring the game to PC, mobile, and console platforms.

Wizards of the Coast announced that their latest card expansion set Dominaria will be on Arena during a large update schedule. It’ll be available today with the economy updates as well. There will also be in-game events and many more. You can check out the forums for more details.

Every single card from the new expansion will be playable in digital format and include news skins and visual improvements. There will also be an experimental event going on in New Zealand where pre-release cards will include in-game codes that they can redeem for virtual items as well.

Puzzle Fighter is shutting down – lots of freebies to grab

Puzzle Fighter will be shutting down.

Capcom Vancouver has announced that it’ll be shutting down Puzzle Fighter, it’s mobile puzzler fighting game.

It’s a reboot of the 90s puzzle game which came out in November 2017. Players could choose as classic characters from many different series like Mega Man, Darkstalkers, Dead Rising, Final Fight, Resident Evil, and Street Fighter. The game has only been available on mobile platforms so far.

In a post, Capcom explains that instead of Puzzle Fighter, it’ll be shifting its focus onto Dead Rising instead. They also gave a sincere thanks to fans of the semi-popular mobile fighting game by gifting them 10,000 gems (in-game currency). New characters such as Regina, Dr. Wily, and Ada Wong are free to play as and new levels such as the Lab, Darminor, and Uroboros are all free as well.

The soundtrack is also available on SoundCloud for people who like the OST. And the Classic Mode special event will now be constantly available at all times until the server shuts down.

In-game purchases have been suspended but existing purchases can be still used anytime to upgrade your characters.

The server will shut down on July 31st, 2018.

Source: Techraptor.

Darwin Project is going free to play

Darwin Project will be free to play soon.

Scavengers Studio’s Darwin Project has become free to play!

Darwin Project is a battle royale game that takes the battlegrounds up north. Players fight each under the control of a show director who has influence over the outcome of the game. The director can drop bombs, zone areas, and even screw up a single contestant (or all) at any time. The players need to adapt and use the environment in order to kill the others. Using tracks and searching for clues is unique to the genre.

The announcement was made on Steam by Creative Directory Simon Darveau. The game has been in paid Early Access until recently, so for those who paid for it, they’ll get some bonuses like the Founder’s Pack which contains MTL Legendary sets, 3 Legendary Axes, 3 Legendary Bows, and a full jumpsuit collection. You also get 5 Fan Gifts as well. They’ll all appear in your inventory automatically.

If you’re unhappy with the extra gifts you get, you can opt for a full refund no matter when you bought it. This is pretty nice of them, considering that you get bonus items that you decide whether or not are worthy of the price you paid.

Darwin Project will go free to play in hopes to compete with leading Battle Royale games. Charging for the game doesn’t seem to work when you have games like Fortnite dominating the free to play market. The game will also be free to play on Xbox One as well.

Photo: Steam.

Three new (free) content updates announced for Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves is no longer a sailing sim anymore!

Sea of Thieves is finally getting a much-needed content update!

After being criticized for being a sailing simulator with nothing to do, Rare has decided to release a roadmap of what to expect in the next coming months. It’ll get a few updates, three of which are already announced to let people know that it hasn’t abandoned the project.

The first update will roll out in May which will be called The Hungering Deep and brings a new epic boss for players to take down. It’ll require multiple parties to discover and defeat the threat together. The spiles will be a plenty!

The next update is called Cursed Sails and will roll out in Summer 2018. This update brings a new type of ship to the game and also another epic boss. The expanded ships will allow you to change how it looks and functions as you scale the sea. It’s not just a single ship, it’s a whole ship type.

The last update is called Forsaken Shores and is probably the biggest one. it’ll add a whole new area to sail and new enemies to fight as well. There will be new rewards that are themed to that part of the world and a new gameplay mechanic. This is the big one.

There will also be three more updates coming later on, but none of the hems have details yet. Weekly events will be introduced to the game to teach players the new mechanics and events between updates. This will also help them explore existing locations via quest or fetch missions. Getting a chest from a boring local or getting an item from an NPC in the middle of nowhere both help facilitate players to new places they wouldn’t otherwise go before the updates were added to the game. It’s a way to get players playing.

All updates will be free as well, so Rare will be backed up in developement for thigns like pets and ship captains.

Sit tight for updates on the way, captain!

Photo: https://seaofthieves.gamepedia.com/Sailing

Sega Ages first lineup of games announced for the Switch

Sega Ages is coming to the Switch!

Sega has up and gone ahead announced their first lineup of games for their Sega Ages collection for the Switch.

We wrote about this previously and in short, the Sega Ages is a program where Sega brings their classic games over to a multitude of platforms. They did this for the 3DS as well and it was done successfully. Now, their first batch of games for the Switch has been announced.

We’re looking at Alex Kidd, Phantasy Star, Thunder Force IV, Sonic, and Gain Ground. These games included some goodies already and personally I know I’ll be getting Phantasy Star and Sonic (duh). Out of the list, those two were fond memories even though I was totally a Nintendo kid growing up.

This release of Sega Ages will bring over some titles to the West that weren’t available previously. It’ll roll out in Summer 2018 and will be handled by M2, which did the same games for the 3DS. Sega Ages is perfect for fans who liked Sega stuff and weren’t able to play them or just want to relive the classic games without buying an actual Sega console. In terms of Sonic the Hedgehog, some special elements from the 3DS would be added, such as the Spin Dash attack and the Mega Play version. In Thunder Force IV, players will get the Styx Mode and online leaderboards. In Phantasy Star, you’ll get additional options such as difficulty and walk speed.

Sega Ages originally came to fruition back on the Sega Saturn in 1996 in Japan. Then it came to the West with some awesome titles like Space Harrier, OutRun, and After Burner II. It’s nice to see this coming to the Switch. Now it’s a constant thing for Nintendo fans. It’s difficult to avoid getting some Sega on your Nintendo.

Players will be able to get ahold of this sometime in the Summer. Sit tight for updates.

Photo: Wikidpedia.

ArenaNet confirms it used invasive spyware in the Guild Wars 2 engine

ArenaNet used an invasive technique to see what was running on your CPU.

ArenaNet has been found to spy on players in Guild Wars 2.

During March 6th to the 27th, there was a line of code in the software that affected all players who played Guild Wars 2. Based on a post on reddit, it was found that ArenaNet used spyware in order to ban cheaters and hackers from the game. IT was later confirmed that they used it to find “programs that allows players to cheat and gain unfair gameplay advantages.”

Sure, this is okay. It’s not the first time something like this has happened. Blizzard Entertainment uses a similar process called the Warden Client which looks for specific identifiers for cheating programs and then uses that to ban the player.

However, ArenaNet would look for all CPU processes and relay that info back to their servers. This is pretty much everything that players have available on their PC running at that current time. This is a shotgun approach and is unnecessarily invasive to privacy. Warden had some problems met by players as well. Cheating and hacking protection is one thing, but another problem is how much data is taken and sent back to their servers to analyze and ban players.

In the current build, ArenaNet has removed the code and doesn’t use the same process as before. How they use their software to detect hackers now is unspecified. Updates will ensue when a confirmed answer is available.

Sega classics are coming to the Nintendo Switch by Summer 2018 under Sega Ages

Sonic is coming to the Switch!

Classic games from SEGA Genesis and Master System will be available for the Nintendo Switch during the Summer of 2018, according to an announcement at Sega Fest 2018.

Fans of the classic Sega games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Phantasy Star, Thunderforce 4, and more, will all be available on the Switch under the Sega Ages brand. There will be a total of 15 games available including the 3 above.

A company called M2 is behind the move and will be developing the games for emulation for the games. They’re specialists in game emulation for older titles and they’ve been doing this with Sega games for a while now- they ported games onto the Virtual Console on the DS, so they know what they’re doing. The Sega Ages label has been used by Sega since 1996 when they re-released games on their SEGA Saturn console.

As for now, we have no info about the other remaining games. We’ll post an update when we hear word about them.

Photo: Flickr.

Denuvo confirmed to be the cause of performance issues in Tekken 7

Tekken 7's performance issues tied to Denuvo.

Denuvo is behind the performance and lag issues plaguing Tekken 7.

In a Tweet by Katsuhiro Harada, producer and director of Tekken, he addressed and confirmed that some attacks in the game cause lag and performance issues. But this isn’t because of the system’s hardware. It’s because of a third-party anti-tamper issue that’s in the process of getting fixed and updated. Later he confirmed it was Denuvo.

Denuvo is a middleware program that was made to prevent piracy and tampering. It’s got a history with many different games and has a strange controversy behind it. Denuvo is quiet about their solutions and doesn’t always address the public about what they’re doing. It’s a debated topic of “who to blame” since Denuvo causes issues with the game, but without it, games would easily be cracked and pirated.

This isn’t the first time either. There have already been reports that the program causes issues with the game. FF15 was a good example where Durante said it caused longer loading times. Another indie game called Rime had issues as well where Denuvo was found to be the culprit. Lords of the Fallen was the first game that used it and there have been rumors that it postbacks to their servers occasionally and this cases performance issues prevents users from playing the game.

Now, it’s about time that a pretty important person has finally admitted that it’s likely their fault. Regardless, Tekken 7 will be patched and updated soon. You’ll be able to use Akuma’s Shakunesu Hadouken without lag.

Photo:

Siegfried confirmed for Soulcalibur VI lineup

Siegfried is the newest confirmed character.

Siegfried has been confirmed by Bandai Namco to be on the roster for Soulcaliber VI!

The rebellious blonde knight with the giant sword will be available among the cast of characters for the next Soulcalibur entry- the newest title for Project Soul’s popular fighter series.

He’s a badass knight who carries a huge German two-handed sword. He’s been a long-time protagonist background character in other games playing the double version of the character Nightmare. Nightmare was the primary bad guy for the first two Soulcalibur games and then split off into his own avatar. Nightmare carries his sword in the left hand whereas Siegfried carries it in his right.

Bandai Namco released some more info about his background story for the upcoming game. He awakens free from the sell of the Soul Edge and is swamped with memories of killing his father and all the things he’s done as Nightmare. Now he’s back to redeem himself from the corruption he’s caused under the influence of Soul Edge. Soul Edge can only be countered by Soul Calibur- a magical sword used to counter the dark magic. Siegfried fell in battle to as Nightmare to Kilik, so he’s left with a lot of regrets.

For hardcore fans, his entry has already been speculated on the roster since he’s already been in every single core title of the Soulcalibur games since the very beginning (the Soul Edge games). Although his confirmation is kinda late, he’ll be in the game nonetheless.

Alongside Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher, Siegfried is the latest addition to the lineup. The game will be out in sometime in 2018 and available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC for the firs time which should be interesting to see how the controls work out on a keyboard/mouse combo instead of a controller. Check back for updates. I’ll keep you updated when more details roll out about the game in the future.

You can check out the trailer here.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle details confirmed- release date, price, and pre-order specials

The game will include some special pre-order specials and bonuses for fans.

Arc System Works revealed some info about their new title- BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Collector’s Edition.

It’s an anime fighter which will be available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC via Steam on June 5, 2018. The game features a roster of characters all packed together into a single 2D fighting game from multiple universes like Persona 4 Ultimate Arena, BlazBlue, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH EXE: LATE, and RWBY. The game’s 2v2 combat with tag-team combat is exactly what fans want and what Arc System Works delivers. GameStop will also have demo stations located throughout North America at select locations if you want to try it out before you buy.

The game will come with a basic Standard Edition and a collector’s edition. It seems like more and more games nowadays include a ton of free stuff in their expensive offerings beyond just games.

The Collector’s Edition will retail at $99.99 and launches on the same day as the Standard Edition. It can be pre-ordered here starting May 4, 2018. It’ll include the following items:

  • Base game
  • 52-page art book
  • 15 track OST
  • 4 acrylic figures featuring BlazBlue’s Ragna, Persona‘s Yu, Under Night In-Birth‘s Hyde, and RWBY‘s Ruby.
  • Special collector’s box
  • Steel game case

If you decide that you don’t want to shell out $100 but you still want some bonuses, you can do that with the Standard Edition. If you pre-order it, you can get some nice little grabs like a mini soundtrack that features seven tracks from the game.

You can check out the trailer of the game here.

Photo: Wikipedia.

Banner Saga 3 set to release July 24 (US) and July 27 (UK)

Banner Saga gets a release date.

Banner Saga 3 is set for release on July 24, 2018 for PC, Xbox, PC and Switch in the US. EU is on July 27, 2018.

Developer Stoic is also expecting the mobile version to launch later on in the year as well. Players will be able to play the final adventure in this story-driven narrative RPG. There will be character-building, storytelling, and tons of strategy just like fans of the series expect. This is the final game fo the trilogy which will finally reveal the hidden motives of the characters and the mysteries of the game.

Players will be able to take on the final journey beyond the Wall of Darkness with some special bonuses for pre-orders on PC. If you buy it early, you’ll get the base game plus the following bonuses items in game:

  • Dredge Stoneguard Character – Rank 10 Hero called Kivi
  • Unique Combat Ability: Tank
  • Unique Dredge Item – Sculptor’s Tools
  • Exclusive Dredge Heraldry
  • Unique Heroic Title: “Shield Cleaver’
  • Exclusive Banner Saga 3 Overture Track – by Grammy-nominated and two-time BAFTA-winning composer Austin Wintory

The PC version will be available on Steam and other distribution platforms. There’s a total of three versions (digital) on launch day. The Standard Edition will be $24.99. The Deluxe will be $29.99 (includes OST, wallpaper, world map, and “Gold Wasp” title. The Legendary Edition will be $39.99 and comes with everything in previous editions plus an exclusive legendary equip “Petrie Clan Ring” and a special title “Shadow Walker” and a digital novel “Gift of Hadrborg.”

For players who prefer to go physical, all three versions will be available in a complete bundle called The Banner Saga Trilogy: Bonus Edition for PS4 and Xbox One for $39.99. It includes Banner Saga 1, 2, 3, and a mini art book, limited OST, in-game items, and a poster. There will also be a PC Bonus Edition digitally as well.

Fans should get excited with all the goodies.

Photo: Banner Saga.

Daylight Studios’ Holy Potatoes! A Spy Story?! coming out Summer 2018

The next Holy Potatoes! game is coming soon.

Daylight Studios announced their next title- it’s a Holy Potatoes! game.

This time it’s Holy Potatoes! A Spy Story?!. As weird as that name sounds (and even weirder trying to type it), it’s a game that has players running a spy agency in an attempt to exposure another spy corporation. If you’ve never played games from this series, they’re basically top-down strategy games with colorful graphics and a basic storyline. This game is no exception. It’s colorful, pretty, and offers a very humorous undertone throughout the whole adventure. It’s the fourth game in the series following Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! which was the previous entry.

You play as a duo of spies named Ren and Rexa who want to expose an evil corporation’s workings. It features plenty of funny dialog and lots of resource management. You’ll be going through many different missions and using your special abilities like stealth and strength to defeat the enemy and fulfill your objective.

You’ll be able to assign, build, and train your own team of potatoes in order to plan and execute missions. The game is largely a simulator game where you manage many different variables at once, but there’s a storyline thrown in as well. You can build stuff like spy boogers, invisibility cloaks, and special spy glasses to help your team. You can even genetically modify them with gene splicing.

Producer Faizan Abid states:

“We were really excited to start the development of Holy Potatoes! A Spy Story?! We are all big fans of the 007 films and of course the spin-offs with Rowan Atkinson, Johnny English, so we have a lot of inspiration to draw from,”

The game is scheduled to be released on Steam in Summer 2018. The exact date is still unknown. You can check out the trailer for the game here.

Photo: Day-Light Studios.

Far Cry 5 shatters sales records in first week

Far Cry 5 is the best-selling Far Cry game in the first week.

Far Cry 5 has shattered previous records and is now the “in” game.

Just a week after its launch on March 27th, it sold just about $310 million dollars worth of copies, with half coming from digital purchases. Far Cry 4 only sold about half of that amount during opening week. The Division sold about $330 million, which makes it best-selling Ubisoft game of all time in its first week.

Far Cry 5 has been very positively received and has made it was to the top of the ladder just based on controversy. The story has been criticized as incomplete and unsatisfying, but the core gameplay makes up for it with some of the most awesome gameplay maneuvers to date. The game has been criticized that it only made its way to the top because of the topic it covers- a heavily-armed religious cult in the USA. Press along has garnered this game a ton of exposure and this led to its huge publicity.

All publicity is good. No matter how bad.

Dan Hay, the Executive Producer, states:

“I’m proud that the culmination of years of passionate work from the team is paying off, and that Far Cry 5’s experience resonates with so many people.”

Far Cry 5 isn’t all bells and whistles even though the storytelling is pretty bad. The game has a Season Pass for upcoming paid DLC. But as for free content, there isn’t much going on there. So far, the game doesn’t have much in terms of weapon diversity and has gameplay balance issues.

Either way, we’ll have to be on the lookout for what’s next. They got the momentum, now they just need to keep it up and not let their fans down.

Photo: Ubisoft.

Papa Johns and FFXV partner up for an awesome pizza deal

FFXV partners with Papa Johns for awesome pizza.

Papa Johns has teamed up with Final Fantasy XV.

That’s right. An American pizza chain has partnered with Square Enix’s flagship title and posted about it on Twitter. If you take a look at the linked ad, you’ll see Ignis saying “That’s It! I’ve come up with a new discount!” and there’s also a headline that says “Eat in it the game… then eat it in real life!” As crazy and whacky as this sounds, it’s pretty funny.

The promotion allows you get any pizza at regular menu price using the special code “PIZZAGG” at checkout. This is just a publicity stunt and will probably spread like crazy all over the ‘net. This will get them tons of exposure and publicity, just like what you’re reading now. It’ll work out in their favor. I can tell just by the craziness of this deal.

This partnership isn’t really anything beyond just slapping some FF characters on a Papa John’s ad. You can’t cook Papa John’s in FFXV nor can you go the other way around- however that works. Whether you approve of this or not, it’s working for the pizza chain by getting them tons of publicity. And that’s probably all they’re after.

Well done, Papa. Well done.

Image: revholics.

Nintendo releases requirements for third-party USB cables

Switch units have been bricked in the recent firmware upgrade.

Nintendo decided that it won’t be using proprietary charging ports on the Nintendo Switch. This is old news, but favorable, since many gamers prefer to use cheaper, third-party chargers instead of the “OEM” parts for USB-C cables.

Sadly, the reason behind this in previous systems isn’t just to make a profit- it’s to also ensure quality.

When you make a system that allows any manufacturer to make an accessory for it, you unleash the slew of crappy parts that could very well damage the system itself such as slow charging times or fried hardware. Nintendo is starting become aware of this and is probably second-guessing their decision. They warn (it’s in Japanese, so translate it)that the USB-C cables should only be used with 56K Ohm resistors to be safely used and prevent any damage with the Switch.

If charging from a USB source with the USB-A type outputs, Nintendo suggests only to use the official cable (HAC-010) that are included with the Pro Controller or Joy-Con Charging Crip. However, you can only get this Japan. If you’re in the US, you won’t be able to buy it by itself and must get it bundled.

A Nintendo support mod stated that:

“any USB cable that supports a USB Type C port should work just as well”

So this means any third-party cable should work, right? Using USB cables that don’t fit the bill could seriously damage the Switch’s internals or charge it super slowly. It could even fry it in slow motion or charge it so slow that it won’t carry the full amps required.

Where did all this news come from? It appears that a bunch of Switch consoles turned into Switch Bricks after the 5.x firmware update with consoles using the third-party docks from Nyko.

If you don’t want to take any risks, go with OEM parts. If you want to save some cash, do your research first before buying.

Photo: https://nyko.com/products/portable-docking-kit-for-nintendo-switchNyko

What’s new in Overwatch Retribution

Overwatch Retribution is now live and available for download!

The Overwatch Archives event is now live and the new PvE game mode Retribution is out!

Let’s take a look at what’s new in this patch.

The new mode puts characters McCree, Moira, Reaper, and Genji against Talon operatives in Venice, Itlay. Rialto is a district located in Venice. This new map was shown during the last broadcast on Wednesday of Overwatch League. The map would be used for Retribution PvE and also as an Escort map later on. Fans were expecting a new map anyway, so it’s no surprise. It’s available right now for play.

Last years Uprising event is also back and so has Blackwatch. These events have four different difficulty levels with a plethora of achievements to unlock by finishing them. They also allow players to go through a campaign-like mode and an alternative mode that allows them to play as any hero of their choosing.

Overwatch Archives also offers tons of new skins and cosmetics to drain your wallet like no other. Eight new Legendary Skins are available along with three highlight intros and six unique victor poses. Uprising content is also back at normal prices for a limited time. You’ll also get a free loot box when you first log in as well. There’s also a new “Avoid as teammate” feature to ban two players from your team when queuing for a period of seven days. This is useful to avoid certain people you just can’t work with. Players who get banned will get a message on their dash telling them that they’ve been singled out.

A few bug fixes have been implemented as usual, and game balance as well. Here are some notable changes in the patch:

  • Blizzard World has also been changed. Point B has been shifted back 10 meters to the opposite side of the archway to balance out spawn points.
  • D. Va’s Micro Missiles got nerfed from 6 to 4 points and impact damage from has also been reduced 15 points.
  • Mei’s Endothermic Blaster can now pierce enemies and also freeze them.
  • Reaper’s Ultimate will reload his guns after use and his Wraith Form has increased move speed by to 50% bonus and he can cancel Wraith Form at any time by firing or pressing Shift.
  • Moira’s Biotic Grasp, Fade, and Coalescence Ultimates have new transparency settings to reduce clutter.
  • Zenyatta’s RoF on his secondary attack has also been reduced slightly.

It’s all looking good for Overwatch fans, but some have reported that download speeds are slower. However, this is intentionally done according to a post by Developer Bill Warnecke as new files are installing after they’re downloaded. It’s a huge patch also, so hopefully you have some fast DL speeds.

While you’re waiting for your download, here’s a video you can check out about the Retribution event.

Photo: https://playoverwatch.com/

Metal Gear Survive’s “The Encounter 1964” includes some epic unlockable goodies

The new event includes some classic items from MGS: Snake Eater like the Croc Cap.

Metal Gear Survive is getting an all-new Metal Gear Solid 3 event starting next week starting on April 10th and running for two weeks straight. It’s a Snake Eater event.

Metal Gear Survive is a survival game themed in the MGS world. You build bases, gather resources, craft items, get loot, conquer objectives, etc. It’s not really an MGS game, but rather, MGS with a survival twist that’ set in a parallel universe that takes classic characters, event, items, and history from the series. Soldiers that were protecting Mother Base are sucked into a giant wormhole and end up in a different world with crazy weather and zombies.

https://youtu.be/ML5oFv2o5N8

Konami tweeted about it and confirmed the event.

The even is an MGS3-themed special that offers a new co-op experience and it’ll be called The Encounter 1964. That’s pretty much all the details about it other than the rewards, which include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Accessory: Crocodile Cap
  • Accessory: Fatigues – Naked Snake
  • Accessory: Jumpsuit – EVA
  • Accessory: Ocelot Unit Beret
  • Accessory: Ocelot Unit Beret with Balaclava
  • Avatar Face paint: Black
  • Avatar Face paint: Green
  • Avatar Face paint: Oyama
  • Avatar Face paint: Splitter
  • Avatar Face paint: Woodland
  • Cassette Tape: “Takin’ On The Shagohod”
  • Gesture: “You’re pretty good.”
  • Nameplate FOX
  • Nameplate PATRIOT
  • Nameplate Shagohod

Out of all these items, fans of the MGS series should be thrilled to snag some of these accessories. The Crocodile Cap and EVA Jumpsuit are both iconic items from MSS3, alongside the PATRIOT nameplate. The Naked Snake Fatigue is also classic Snake Eater. You can also get the theme music for Takin’ on the Shagohod as a cassette tape, which is actually pretty cool. Fans of the series should be all over it. All this comes from a blog post on Konami’s site.

The MS3 event will be a nice little kickback to the classic game, reminding players of where Metal Gear Survive came from. Players will earn Battle Points throughout the event which will let them snag some new items exclusive to the event.

Metal Gear Survive is available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The PS4 version is $20. The Xbox One version is $25. And the Windows version is $40. They’re all different in price but the game is essentially the same. The Encounter 1964 looks pretty promising and will be free for all players when it comes out. That’s solid.

Photo: Flickr.

Google blocks crypto miner extensions from Chrome Web Store

Chrome is blocking crypto miners from the Chrome Web Store.

Google has finally decided to get rid of any Chrome extensions that are mining for crypto.

Before this removal, Google allowed Chrome Web Store extensions to mine for cryptocurrencies as long as they clearly stated that they did such a thing and did nothing else but mine. This was the strict rule. Guess how it went?

Only about 10% of extensions actually followed this guideline whereas the rest didn’t. They would mine surreptitiously without user consent, which often increased resource usage and drained batteries faster.

Now, Google has decided to just cut off any crypto miners on the platform. You can now no longer submit your extension if you’re a developer and any current ones will be removed in June 2018. Sorry to the 10% of you. It’s the 90% that did this. Google has done right in this manner with the majority clearly not playing by the rules. They’re doing it to protect the end user anyway.

Google has announced that they would begin blocking any third-party applications from injecting code into Chrome. Accessibility and input software will be fine, but everything else will be halted. This is to stop malware from stealing passwords, tracking users, and doing other nonsense that harms users. Chrome 66 will warn users about injected code. Chrome 68 will only allow code to run after a warning. And in 2019, Chrome will block code injection completely.

Photo: Pixabay.

World of Tanks’ new “Spoils of War” trilogy is completely free content (and it’s awesome)

WoT gets a new content update for consoles only.

World of Tanks is offering console players a whole new experience.

If you’ve never heard of the game, it’s a free-to-play tank simulator warfare game where you pilot over 660 tanks in huge 15v15 multiplayer matchups online.

WoT released a new gameplay experience focused on PvE called the “Spoils of War” War Stories trilogy which gives players a new set of missions that explore an alternate universe where WWII never ended. Players will get to test the perspective from German, Soviet, and American soldiers on the field.

The trilogy starts off with a chapter called Sieben Ritter where you play as Captain Staupe and you need to choose between duty or morals as you battle your own decisions to make the final stand in Berlin or forget your orders and do what’s right for the people in the small town on the German-Polish border.

The second chapter is called The Connoisseur where you play as an American Sergeant named Frank Martines and he has to destroy a stolen art crate. You’re competing with German soldiers as well because this crate contains some historical relics worth a lot of cash. You need to hunt it down and take it from the Germans who intend to “preserve” it for as long as possible.

The final part of the new trilogy is called Potemkin which takes place on the battlefields of Soviet-Germany. You play as Captain Anatoly Petrov and you suspect that a fellow commander has defied Soviet command by offering to sell food on eh blank market in order to prevent starvation. You play bout your morals or duties once again and it depicts the internal struggles of a captain.

Players of the console editions are in for a treat. Alongside the epic online battles, World of Tanks now has some nice campaign-focused missions in this new trilogy of PvE-focused gameplay. For those who like the WoT experience but want something more for solo play, this is it. It’s completely free and has already rolled out on April 3rd, 2018. It offers over 15 hours of gameplay. It’s available for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PS4 platforms. What a nice treat, huh?

Image via WoT Forums.