#Will star wars eclipse be multiplayer

[yay855]

It's because actual quality requires management and shareholders to let go of the product's production and let the people actually working on it decide what's a good idea and what's a bad idea. You can't abuse and overwork your employees into making something that's actually really good, but you can abuse and overwork your employees into making something that's okay enough to keep some players invested long enough to shove microtransactions and overpriced DLC that should have been part of the base game down their throats.

The former requires that the people in charge actually let their workers use their expertise and have a healthy working environment and work/life balance, while the latter lets the people in charge continue to be abusive assholes while still making some money.

There's also the fact that CEOs and shareholders don't actually know or want to know about the things their companies make and how to make them well, nor do they care about market diversity. They want- need, even, because of how capitalism works- to have all the money now, and all they know are data points. So they see a video game that's wildly popular and rather than actually examining the player reviews or popular sentiment among users, they take the bare basics of the new game's mechanics and staple it onto something they know also sells well, if not just make a bare-bones copy with the aesthetics and basics of the thing players love but none of the actual quality or the tiny tidbits that make it work. Hence why so many games have crafting mechanics stapled onto them after Minecraft got popular, or why so many shooters hyperfocus on multiplayer (while not even maintaining a healthy user community by banning bots and toxic players). And of course, every few years there's another big wave of copycats trying to ride on the coattails of something else, like the MMORPG boom, the crafting boom, the GTA boom, and of course booms for first and third person shooters, and every single time the vast majority of titles trying to ride the coattails of something that was wildly successful end up dying out or fading into obscurity.

Sure, everyone knows about World of Warcraft, and plenty know about Final Fantasy 14, but who here remembers Rift? DC Universe Online? Dungeons and Dragons Online? The Lord of the Rings Online? Maplestory? Star Wars The Old Republic? (FYI, all of these are still playable today)

Sure, everyone knows Call of Duty, but who here remembers Transformers War For Cybertron? Star Trek Voyager Elite Force? Serious Sam? Star Wars Dark Forces?

Everyone remembers Mario 64 and Sonic Adventure, and lots remember Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank, but who remembers Ty the Tasmanian Tiger? Chibi-Robo? Tak and the Power of Juju? Gex? Ape Escape?

And heck, Pokemon has totally eclipsed nearly every single other franchise like it; Digimon is often seen as "that thing that tries to be pokemon but computers" (which it really isn't, it's older than pokemon and started out as a virtual pet, but some of the video games tried to be more like pokemon), and some hardcore fans still care about Shin Megami Tensei and are happy it got another release (again, predates pokemon), but who here remembers Medabots? Spectrobes? Dragon Quest Monsters? Dinosaur King? Monster Rancher? Zoids?

And I can go on! This is not a comprehensive list of these copycat games (many of which good on their own merits!), nor of the game booms that keep happening. And most of these games/franchises I listed ranged from fairly high quality to at least decent, it's just that they never got the popularity that the name-brand games of the same genre did. And we've seen in recent years that indie games have become wildly popular by trying to recreate many more niche genres, such as Project Zomboid being a true survival game, Stardew Valley being Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons but slightly less idealistic, and of course Minecraft, The Binding of Isaac, Celeste, Hollow Knight, Cuphead, Undertale, etc. And these all get so popular because they either try new things or polish an older but relatively niche genre until it shines. And that's something big companies typically refuse to do, because the ones in charge refuse to accept that they don't know what they're doing.

Baldur's Gate 3 owes at least some of its success to building off of decades of other CRPGs and utilizing one of the most popular tabletop gaming systems of all time (Dungeons and Dragons), but honestly, most of its popularity comes from the well written characters, the intriguing plot, the actual roleplaying aspect that makes dialogue feel like more than simply clicking an option, and the sheer variety of things you can accomplish in combat if you're paying attention or come up with something clever. It is, simply put, really polished, and that sort of attention to detail and love for what you make shines through, made all the better thanks to the high production value and Larian Studios having a ton of experience making CRPGs. And that scares most big studios' execs, because BG3's wild popularity means that players have tasted genuine passion and quality and attention to detail in a new high-budget game for the first time in years, and we don't want to settle for the same cookie-cutter generic repetitive junk big companies have been insisting is the best they can do.

The way Triple A game developers are reacting to Baldur's Gate 3 being seemingly an amazing game with no microtransactions reminds me of the reaction Triple A game developers reacted to Elden Ring being an amazing game with no microtransactions, which to me, is hilarious, because you'd think the reaction to seeing something groundbreaking and that's clearly beloved by the people who love and are immersed in the artform would be "Wow, incredible... Maybe we can learn from this and make a breakthrough, maybe we can redouble our efforts and take this as reference to make something fantastic ourselves!" and not "Well, You See, this game is bad for the industry because it's TOO good and it creates an expectation of quality and love (and no microtransactions), do not, my friends, become addicted to good video games. It will take hold of you, and you will resent their absence!"

[theclubhero-blog]

Baldur's Gate 3 vence melhor jogo do ano no Golden Joystick Awards

Por Vinicius Torres Oliveira

Resident Evil 4 e Starfield venceram nas categorias de consoles

Nesta sexta-feira (10), Baldur's Gate 3 foi coroado como o melhor jogo do ano no Golden Joystick Awards, premiação que completa 41 anos em 2023. O título do Larian Studios superou outros grandes games lançados neste ano, como The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Alan Wake 2 e Starfield. Conforme publicado pelo GamesRadar, 2023 foi o ano em que a premiação contou com mais votos desde a primeira edição, décadas atrás. Abaixo, você confere os vencedores de cada categoria, destacados em negrito, seguidos pelos demais indicados.

Melhor narrativa

Vencedor: Baldur's Gate 3

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Melhor jogo contínuo

Vencedor: No Man's Sky

Genshin Impact

The Sims 4

Fortnite

Naraka Bladepoint

GTA Online

Warframe

Valorant

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / Counter-Strike 2

Apex Legends

Dota 2

Call of Duty

Melhor design visual

Vencedor: Baldur's Gate 3

Starfield

Hi-Fi Rush

Viewfinder

Lies of P

Street Fighter 6

Estúdio do ano

Vencedor: Larian Studios

Digital Eclipse

Nintendo EPD

Mimimi Games

Remedy Entertainment

CD Projekt Red

Melhor expansão

Vencedor: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Power Wash Simulator DLC

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom

The Case of the Golden Idol Mysteries: The Lemurian Vampire and Spider of Lanka

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania

A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers

Melhor jogo independente

Vencedor: Sea of Stars

Dave the Diver

Pizza Tower

Dredge

Cocoon

Viewfinder

Melhor jogo multiplayer

Vencedor: Mortal Kombat 1

Exoprimal

Diablo 4

Street Fighter 6

Remnant 2

We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip

Melhor áudio

Vencedor: Final Fantasy 16

Stray Gods

Hi-Fi Rush

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Starfield

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Melhor trailer

Vencedor: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - Official Cinematic Trailer

Alan Wake 2 - The Dark Place Gameplay Trailer

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Official Trailer #3

Baby Steps Reveal Trailer

Mortal Kombat 1 - Official It's In Our Blood Trailer

Dave the Diver - Official Release Month And Accolades Trailer

Melhor comunidade

Vencedor: Baldur's Gate 3

Final Fantasy 14

Warframe

Deep Rock Galactic

Dreams

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Melhor jogo VR

Vencedor: Horizon Call of the Mountain

C-Smash VRS

Synapse

Vertigo 2 VR

F1 23 VR

The Light Brigade

Melhor hardware

Vencedor: PlayStation VR2

Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Headset

Alienware 34 AW3423DWF

Nitro Deck

ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96

Samsung 990 PRO

Prêmio Breakthrough

Vencedor: Cocoon / Geometric Interactive

Escolha dos críticos

Vencedor: Alan Wake 2

Melhor jogo de streaming

Vencedor: Valorant

Melhor atuação principal

Vencedor: Ben Starr - Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy 16

Yuri Lowenthal - Peter Parker in Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Cameron Monaghan - Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta - Alan Wake in Alan Wake 2

Nadji Jeter - Miles Morales in Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Ellise Chappell - Kathy Johanson in Deliver Us Mars

Melanie Liburd - Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2

Melhor atuação coadjuvante

Vencedor: Neil Newbon - Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

Laura Bailey - Mary Jane in Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Cissy Jones - Andreja in Starfield

Amelia Tyler - Narrator in Baldur's Gate 3

Ralph Ineson - Cidolfus Telamon in Final Fantasy 16

Patricia Summersett - Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Idris Elba - Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Jogo do ano da Nintendo

Vencedor: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Pikmin 4

Fire Emblem Engage

Metroid Prime Remastered

Octopath Traveller 2

Fae Farm

Jogo do ano de PC

Vencedor: Baldur's Gate 3

Diablo 4

Dave the Diver

Tchia

System Shock

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

Jogo do ano de PlayStation

Vencedor: Resident Evil 4

Final Fantasy 16

Street Fighter 6

Humanity

Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Melhor jogo do ano de Xbox

Vencedor: Starfield

Chants of Sennaar

Hi-Fi Rush

Planet of Lana

Dead Space

Pentiment

Jogo mais desejado

Vencedor: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Death Stranding 2

Star Wars Outlaws

Tekken 8

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Hades 2

Fable

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Everywhere

Frostpunk 2

Ark 2

Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater

Persona 3 Reload

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Pacific Drive

Black Myth: Wukong

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin

Melhor jogo do ano definitivo

Vencedor: Baldur's Gate 3

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Alan Wake 2

Resident Evil 4

Cocoon

Starfield

Final Fantasy 16

Diablo 4

Forza Motorsport

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

Assassin's Creed Mirage

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Street Fighter 6

Metroid Prime Remastered

Hi-Fi Rush

Lords of the Fallen

Dead Space

Sea of Stars

[trustinsights]

Will star wars eclipse be multiplayer

#Will star wars eclipse be multiplayer full#

I may have enjoyed the aforementioned games more than twenty years ago, but today I would 100% prefer to have a third person experience, even if it’s at the cost of getting an arcade type of flying experience. It will happen automatically in rare moments from the story or in some cinematic intros or mid-action scenes in the multiplayer mode. You will not be able to switch from first-person to third-person perspective. Squadrons is also a form of a spiritual successor to the old classics TIE Fighter and X-Wing video games from the end of the twentieth century. Creative director Ian Frazier gave examples with the Poe’s flight scene from the beginning of The Last Jedi and the battles in Rogue One. Motive’s devs actually explain how they did draw expiration from scenes from the movies. This may be a game we didn’t expect, but as it turns out quite a few of us, the older gamers and Star Wars fans, were secretly hoping for it to come one day. Squadrons should feel more like a simulation, rather than an arcade. Motive has designed Squadrons to be quite different in both visuals and gameplay experience from the Starship Assault mode in Battlefrotn 2. It will cost $39.99 on release and aims to hit your nostalgia feelings hard. You pilot your ships from within the cockpit and will rarely get to see the outside of your ship during battle. Star Wars Squadrons vs Starfighter Assault – what will be differentįirst and foremost, Star Wars Squadrons is a first-person game. It will have a single player story campaign and a multiplayer mode. In brief, before we begin with the more interesting stuff: Star Wars Squadrons is a first-person Star Wars flying experience video game, available for PC, PS5 and Xbox One, including VR. In my first preview of Star Wars Squadron article I covered what this game is. The new gameplay trailer and the few interviews we got out of the developers during the show, reveal a lot more information about what exactly the game will be and how will it differ from Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Starfighter Assault! Unless the leaker had something else in mind, that would imply that the company behind some of the best-selling gaming titles conceptualized a game and started building it on the wrong gaming engine.EA Play 2020 is behind us now and the most notable presence at this year’s virtual format of the show was Motive’s upcoming Star Wars Squadrons. As we have previously stated, it’s highly unlikely for QD as a company to have gaming engine issues. But they’re also known for using Unreal Engine 5, which is capable of running strategy games, such as the upcoming Star Wars Eclipse. Quantic Dream is known for using a proprietary gaming engines - a technology they programmed specifically for their own projects. However, many of these issues sound challenging.

#Will star wars eclipse be multiplayer full#

So, many of these aforementioned problems might not be as serious as Quantic enters in full production of the game. The official channels, Quantic Dream primarily, have stated that the game is in the stage of very early development when most issues are expected and addressed, and not having a playable version of the game at that point isn’t really an issue. But again, these are just rumors and should be treated as such, regardless of the source. Henderson also mentioned that a multiplayer mode or component might be in the cards for Star Wars Eclipse, but people at Quantic are still having issues with figuring out how exactly it will function. But it could indicate that things have gotten off to a rockier start than originally anticipated. This isn’t indicative of anything, especially in the long run, considering that the game probably won’t release before 2023. As we previously mentioned, Star Wars Eclipse has been in development for 18 months, but according to Henderson, Quantic Dream still doesn’t have a playable version of the game internally. The problem lies in the fact that these games differ from Star Wars Eclipse in terms of gameplay, which the engine either can’t cope with or has issues running, thus requiring modification. Quantic Dream previously worked on fantastic titles, such as Detroit: Become Human and Beyond: Two Souls and the proprietary engine the company is using has been designed to work with those titles. He pointed out that the information should be taken as a rumor but went on to disclose that the main point of developmental issues with Eclipse, at this moment, might have something to do with the game’s engine. According to ComicBook, Tom Henderson, a reputable game industry insider, revealed that Quantic Dream might struggle with Star Wars Eclipse.

[duncan-rohanne]

mirage and ‘red’ are gonna be my thing, especially pumped for ‘red’ because while i love the mirage vibes, 20 hours gamep lay is too short for me... the billion hours of odyssey is a bit too much, i just loved the origins length, that was perfect, go back to that ubisoft with ‘red’, plus like japan? the scenery will be amazing.

would love to excited for ‘hexe’ cause 16th century europe witch trials are my thing but that implied multiplayer is scaring the crap out of me. and besides we will sooner see star wars eclipse than hexe (yes, that’s a joke)

[aion-rsa]

Xbox Series X Review

https://ift.tt/3ka2zwJ

After spending over a week with Microsoft’s top-of-the-line next-gen console, one thing is clear: the Xbox Series X is a powerful machine, and an impressive hardware upgrade for anyone looking for a home console that can run games at 4K resolution and up to 120 frames per second. The Series X is also lightning fast thanks to its custom 1TB NVME SSD and Velocity Architecture, which seriously cuts down on load times, and the console also features many other quality of life improvements that make it the best way to play Xbox games in 2020. But even a console this fast can’t outrun its most glaring issue: a lack of next-gen exclusives at launch to justify making the upgrade on day one, even if its impressive 4K upscaling and Auto HDR technology does enhance the console’s vast library of past-gen experiences.

Before we jump into the games, let’s talk about the hardware itself. I covered the console’s physical attributes more closely in my unboxing article, but the short of it is that the Xbox Series X is a big, hefty piece of hardware. At about 5.9 inches wide and 11.8 inches tall, and weighing in at 9.8 pounds, the Xbox Series X isn’t quite PC tower size but it’s still massive when compared to most other home consoles. While its absolutely dwarfed by the 15.4 inch tall PlayStation 5, you may still have trouble finding a spot for the Series X in your home entertainment center. I certainly had to get creative with the Ikea TV stand in my living room, and ultimately had to lay the console on its side in order for it to (barely) fit in one of the shelves.

And while I find the Xbox Series X’s minimalist, monolith-shaped design to be eye-catching and a refreshingly clean look when compared to its next-gen competition and PC gaming rigs bathed in RGB lighting, Microsoft’s console looks much less cool when in its horizontal position. It’s true that putting the Series X in either its natural vertical or alternate horizontal position takes a lot less effort compared to the PS5’s removable stand, but I think Microsoft might have sacrificed a better horizontal solution for the sake of convenience to the player. When in the horizontal position, the Series X’s round stand sticks out of the left side of the console, a slightly ugly appendage that you can’t remove from the console’s otherwise clean shape. Maybe I’m seriously nitpicking here, but the point is that this console wants to stand in the vertical position, and I’d advise you to figure out how to display the Series X the way it was meant to be shown off.

You can check out the unboxing video below to hear way more of my thoughts on the console’s shape, size, and design:

Once you turn on the Xbox Series X, set up the console with your Xbox Live account, and sync it to the Xbox app on your phone — and I suggest you do so you can enable Remote Play and more Share options, which we’ll get to in a bit — the first thing you’ll notice is how quiet this machine is. Unless you put your ear real close to the vents at the top of the console, you won’t even hear a low hum from the Series X’s single “whisper-quiet” fan. In fact, the only time I was able to actually hear the Series X from the other side of my living room was while installing a game from a disc, the console’s 4K UHD Blu-ray optical drive working quickly to install the 32GB Mad Max. Still, the virtually silent Series X is a major improvement over the mechanical sound of the original Xbox’s hard drive and loud hum of the Xbox 360 and Xbox One’s fans.

Speaking of fans, the powerful airflow solution in the Xbox Series X is very good at keeping the console’s components relatively cool most of the time. Generally, what you’ll feel when putting your hand close to the console’s vents is a gentle breath of cool to tepid air. Things get a little hotter inside the Xbox when you’re playing Optimized for Series X titles like Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4 at 4K 60fps, but the heat levels never felt all that alarming. I didn’t have a fancy thermal camera to test heat levels in the console, so I’d suggest you check out Digital Foundry’s excellent breakdown of the console’s power efficiency if you want to get into the nitty gritty.

The Xbox Series X’s specs have always been impressive on paper. Back in March, when we finally learned the specs of both consoles, we even speculated the Series X would be slightly more powerful than its next-gen competitor. It’s obviously too early to give a final verdict on the XSX vs. PS5 debate, but it’s not an exaggeration to say that Microsoft’s console has an advantage out the gate, boasting a more powerful CPU and GPU, even if the PS5’s potentially game-changing SSD has commanded much of the technical discussion.

Here are the main Xbox Series X specs you need to know:

Let’s talk about the console’s custom 12 teraflop GPU. While it might not be able to eclipse NVIDIA’s brand new line of GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs in terms of the raw specs, this is still an incredibly powerful graphics card when it comes to the home console market. Ever since it announced the Xbox Series X, Microsoft has had a clear mission: to make 4K 60fps the standard for all next-gen Xbox titles, while looking ahead at an 8K resolution future. After spending a bit of time playing Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Sea of Thieves at 4K 60fps, it’s clear that Microsoft has absolutely knocked it out of the park.

While the Xbox Series X has no first-party next-gen exclusives at launch, which may make some players pause when considering the console’s $499 price tag, this machine does a lot to improve the Xbox experiences you already love. Playing Gears 5 at higher resolution brings the game’s diverse landscapes to life like never before, with improved textures and particle counts, while the inclusion of raytraced shadows and lighting makes all of the environments more immersive than ever before. There is some seriously beautiful lighting in this game to begin with, but the Optimized for Series X version of Gears 5 feels like the most fully realized take on this world. The higher framerate provides a better gameplay experience as well, especially when it comes to shooting mechanics, which feel silky smooth, a major boon when taking on Grubs.

Players can also set the framerate of Gears 5 multiplayer to 120fps, which provides the best look at the Series X’s current graphical ceiling (while the console is 8K-ready, there aren’t any 8K titles out to actually showcase that resolution). While I’m not sure I can tell as much of a difference between 60fps and 120fps when compared to the absolutely massive framerate jump between 30fps and 60fps, the ability to play a game on a home console at framerates that were once considered possible only on PC is no less impressive.

Ultimately, the jump to 60- and 120fps is a much bigger improvement to the home console experience than 1080p vs. 4K resolutions, especially when playing competitive shooters, racing, and fighting games, which demand quick reaction times and low latency. The clearer 4K resolution is certainly an improvement worth commending — just look at how good Forza Horizon 4 and Sea of Thieves look in the 4K screenshots taken from my Xbox Series X — but I’d pay more attention to what games you can turn all the way up to 120fps.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many Optimized for Series X games to actually try during the review period — only the Xbox One version of Yakuza: Like a Dragon was available ahead of the embargo, for example — so it remains to be seen how new titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion, current-gen games that are also Optimized for Series X and will boast 4K 60fps visuals, will perform at launch. What I’ve seen from the three optimized games I tried so far bodes well for the rest of the Xbox Series X’s launch lineup, though.

As I said at the start of this review, the Xbox Series X doesn’t have any first-party next-gen games on its list of launch titles, so it’s impossible to say how the Xbox Series X will perform when true next-gen experiences arrive to push that GPU and SSD to its limits. With Halo Infinite delayed to 2021, and other first-party releases like Obsidian’s Avowed, Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, and Playground’s new Fable game still a way’s away, we may be at least a year out from seeing what the console can really do.

Fortunately, there’s a lot to play on the Xbox Series X until then. In fact, the Series X may be the most backward compatible and most bang-for-your-buck console ever released — as long as you already have a $15 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (and you totally should, if you’re an Xbox fan). Boasting a library of hundreds of backward compatible titles from across all generations of Xbox consoles, you can bring all of your physical and digital games from the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One with you to the Series X. And with Xbox Game Pass, you also get a selection of over 100 games to download and play right out of the box. When compared to the PS5’s backward compatibility options, which only include PS4 titles and what’s available on PS Now, the Series X’s library of games is absolutely stacked.

I spent some time playing Star Wars: Republic Commando (an absolute banger for the original Xbox), Fable Anniversary for the Xbox 360, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection (which is also getting an Optimized for Series X upgrade later this month) and Mad Max on disc for Xbox One. The Series X emulates the original Xbox and Xbox 360 experiences perfectly, while Xbox One titles run natively on the console, which is a nice touch for those who simply want to pop in a current-gen disc and play without worrying about a middle man.

But even that quality of life feature pales in comparison to the way the Series X is able to upscale 720p and 1080p experiences from the past to next-gen 4K and up to 120fps, while also seriously improving the picture quality of those titles through the console’s Auto HDR technology. While I spent a limited time trying out these backward compatible titles on the console, I can definitely say that Republic Commando looks and plays better than it ever did on the first Xbox, while I noticed a distinct choppiness in the framerate in Fable Anniversary and Mad Max (again, running on a disc). Digital Foundry said in its own detailed breakdown of the Series X’s 4K upscaling and Auto HDR for past-gen titles that this isn’t a “one size fits all solution – but when it works, it really works.” I should also note that Republic Commando did crash on me once at the start of my playthrough, but hasn’t given me any issues since.

Now, you can of course make the argument that people buy next-gen consoles to play next-gen games, and I tend to agree with you on that, but the vast backward compatible library on the Xbox Series X still makes this machine a hell of a deal for people jumping into home consoles for the first time as well as new gamers. The size of the Series X’s games library may very well be the best selling point for parents buying next-gen consoles this holiday season. You simply get way more options on Series X. And that’s before you even factor in the console’s Smart Delivery system, which allows you to upgrade select Xbox One titles to the Optimized for Series X version for free.

Read more

Games

Why PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X Will Drive the Future of Gaming Graphics (and Not PC)

By Matthew Byrd

Games

Why the PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X War Won’t Be Won With Console Sales

By Matthew Byrd

Microsoft has also made the incredibly consumer-friendly decision to allow Xbox fans to bring their Xbox One accessories over to the Series X. Both the Xbox Wireless Controller for the Xbox One and the Xbox Media Remote will work on the Series X, for example. As a player who doesn’t like the idea of spending $60 a pop on extra controllers, this is a huge deal. Setting up to play a few rounds of Mortal Kombat X on the Series X, it was very easy to sync my white Xbox Wireless Controller with the next-gen console and jump right into the fight. If you already have an Xbox One and are upgrading this holiday, rejoice in the fact that you already have more than one controller for the Series X.

The only Xbox One peripheral I wasn’t able to sync with the Series X was my SteelSeries Arctis 9X wireless headset, which is supposed to be compatible with the next-gen console at launch. It’s possible that third-party peripherals weren’t compatible with the Series X during the review period, or that this is a bug Microsoft will squash at launch with a firmware update, but just a note of warning if you’re trying to bring your fancy headset over to the next generation.

I’ve waited this long to elaborate on the Xbox Series X’s SSD-powered Velocity Architecture and Quick Resume feature for dramatic effect — because this is where the console truly reveals itself to be an absolute showstopper. Not only does the Series X virtually eliminate load times in past-gen games like Republic Commando — no longer must you wait while different sections of a level load in the middle of the action — but seriously cuts down load times in Optimized for Series X titles like Gears 5 and Sea of Thieves. Gears 5, for example, transitions between cutscenes and gameplay almost seamlessly, while jumping into the campaign in the first place takes only a matter of seconds. Comparing load times between the Xbox One version and Series X port resulted in the latter winning every time. An unsurprising result considering the XBO uses an HDD, but a comparison worth making if you want to see the real difference.

Then there’s the Quick Resume feature, which allows you to switch between several games at once without having to stop and restart applications. With Quick Resume, you can play a few hours of Gears 5, switch to the Halo: Reach campaign in Halo: MCC, play a few quarters in Madden 21, and then go back to Gears 5 and pick up exactly where you left off without having to go through the game’s initial startup again. Loading back into Quick Resume-enabled games takes only a matter of seconds — and this goes for back-compat titles like Republic Commando, Mad Max on disc, and Gears 5 through Remote Play on my Google Pixel 3a XL, too.

The only two games I tried that didn’t seem to work with Quick Resume were Forza Horizon 4 and Sea of Thieves, which had to load from scratch again after switching to other games, but that might come down to the console’s pre-launch state or the fact that both of these games require logging into online servers. Every other game I tried seemed to be compatible with Quick Resume, though. Besides one hiccup where, after Quick Resuming, I lost all sound in Madden 21, this quality of life improvement, along with the graphics upgrade, is enough reason for hardcore Xbox fans to make the jump to the next-gen console.

You can see Quick Resume in action in the video below:

Meanwhile, not much has changed with the Series X’s UI, which has made an almost seamless transition from the Xbox One version. Yes, menus on the dashboard load much faster and everything feels much snappier and flows more smoothly, with little buffer between the dashboard and loading into Settings menu for example, but you won’t find a major UI redesign here. As someone who thinks that the current Xbox UI outpaces the competition, I’d say that continuity between generations is a good thing.

I have a few nitpicks regarding the UI, such as the unintuitive way you access recent screenshots and gameplay clips captured through the console’s Share function, but I’d hardly call this a deal breaker. I will say this: for a company so invested in making PC-level resolution and framerates a reality on a home console, Microsoft missed one key aspect of the PC gaming experience — the ability to quickly adjust graphics on the go. At the moment, you have to exit out of games and visit the console’s Settings menu to change resolution and framerates. The exception out of the Optimized for Series X games I tried is Gears 5, which lets you switch between 60- and 120fps multiplayer in its in-game graphics menu. While it’s true that developers themselves decide just how adjustable a game’s graphics are in-game, it wouldn’t have hurt Microsoft to have implemented more robust graphics options in its first-party optimized titles at least.

The above might not be something console-only gamers are really all that concerned about, of course, which would explain why Microsoft hasn’t done much about it. But when you tout 4K and up to 120 fps gaming so often, you should at least create a faster way to access graphics options on the console without forcing gamers to exit out of the game. Maybe some quick toggles in the Guide menu would do the trick?

Like the UI, the Xbox Series X controller brings pretty much everything you loved about its Xbox One predecessor back for the next generation. Microsoft has perfected its gamepad to the point where it’s also become the preferred controller on PC, so there’s no point in fixing what isn’t broken. I went into way more detail about the actual feel of the controller in my unboxing, but the short of it is that the Xbox Series X gamepad is comfortable, responsive, and features some neat improvements.

The first addition is its new D-pad. Microsoft has done away with the traditional cross-shaped design and replaced it with a new facetted dish inspired by the Xbox Elite Controller. While the new, rounder D-pad felt a bit odd at first, I’ve quickly grown accustomed to it, and have even started to prefer it over the Xbox Wireless Controller’s cross, which now feels a bit stiff in comparison.

The other big new feature on the controller is the Share button, which I had an absolute blast using throughout the review period. With one click of the button, you can now easily capture screenshots of your gameplay, while holding down the button allows you to record 30 seconds of 4K gameplay (you can record longer clips at lower resolutions). From there, you can upload the captures to your activity feed, message them to an Xbox friend, post to Twitter, or even save them to your phone through the Xbox app.

All of the images used in this article were taken with the controller’s Share button, and the results look pretty impressive to this very amateur game photographer. As I mentioned above, for the best experience, I’d suggest handling these captures on your phone once they’re uploaded to the cloud, as it’s easier to zoom and switch between them on the Xbox app than in the console’s Guide menu.

There’s no doubt that the Xbox Series X is a powerful console, one worthy of the next-gen label, but what will ultimately decide the console’s success is its games. Unfortunately, and this is absolutely no secret, the console’s launch lineup is a bit of a letdown. Leaning heavily on third-party Optimized for Series X titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and first-party next-gen ports like Gears 5 — most of which aren’t exclusive to XSX — as well as its Xbox Game Pass and backwards compatible library, the Xbox Series X doesn’t really have an exclusive next-gen title in its launch lineup to entice gamers who are on the fence. Even timed next-gen console exclusive Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be available on XBO, PS4, and PC at launch.

It does seem at the moment like Microsoft’s console will limp out of the gate when it’s finally toe-to-toe with the PS5. Without something truly new and exciting you can only play on the Xbox Series X, I’m not sure I can recommend you buy this console on day one unless you’re looking for raw power in your next-gen gaming. So who is this console really for at the moment? Hardcore Xbox fans who want the best way to play upcoming Xbox titles as well as Game Pass and backward compatible games.

For everyone else, getting an Xbox Series X right now is really an investment in the console’s future. With so much GPU and SSD power at its disposal, the Xbox Series X should prove to be an excellent canvas on which developers will be able to create great pieces of art. And what’s coming up from within Microsoft — Halo Infinite, Avowed, all upcoming Bethesda titles — certainly has me excited about the types of experiences we’ll eventually be able to play on the console. What I’ve experienced so far in terms of graphics and load times tells me that the future of Xbox is very bright.

But at launch, Microsoft wants you to feel like this is still the Xbox experience you love with some major upgrades to performance. Is this a good strategy when it comes to hooking PlayStation and PC gamers across the aisle? That’s up for debate. But as a celebration of everything Xbox fans love about the brand, the Xbox Series X absolutely succeeds and shows a ton of promise to boot.

The Xbox Series X launches on Nov. 10. The Series S, which wasn’t provided by Microsoft in time for a review, will also release on Nov. 10 for $299.

Stay tuned for more of our ongoing coverage of the Xbox Series X here.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post Xbox Series X Review appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/367wZdR

[entergamingxp]

Star Wars Battlefront 2, Call of Duty WW2 are PlayStation Plus’ games for June • Eurogamer.net

May’s irreversible slide into June means another batch of games for PlayStation Plus subscribers, and this month they look an awful lot like Call of Duty WW2 and Star Wars Battlefront 2.

Call of Duty WW2 released in 2017 and marked the long-running first-person shooter series’ return to its Second World War roots, having zipped all around history (and occasionally the future) in the intervening years. Alongside the series’ perennially popular multiplayer modes, it offered up a full single-player story campaign – following the 1st Infantry Division’s battles on the Western Front – and a Nazi-themed Zombies mode for co-operative play.

Eurogamer contributor Jon Denton liked what he saw on release, calling Call of Duty WW2 “quite the package” in his Recommended review. “By returning the series to its roots, Sledgehammer has made the series feel relevant again,” he wrote, “Call of Duty WW2 isn’t just a throwback – it’s the best entry in the series for quite some time.”

To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

As for Star Wars Battlefront 2, its perhaps most notable for the huge controversy surrounding its use of loot boxes, which reasonably mired its original release and ultimately caused EA and developer DICE to make one of the biggest post-launch U-turns in recent memory, dramatically reworking the game’s progression system to ditch its original pay-to-win monetisation system.

However, even at launch, DICE’s Star-Wars-themed shooter was capable of some dazzling moments of action, despite its tendency toward unnecessary fussiness. “Star Wars Battlefront 2 is ultimately as maddening and uneven as the films themselves,” wrote Martin Robinson in his Eurogamer review back in 2017, “and just as likely to wow you with a moment of unparalleled spectacle as it is to fall flat on its face.”

To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

“When it clicks into place, though, there’s nothing quite like it, and all the drama and dubious decisions made elsewhere shouldn’t eclipse DICE’s often incredible achievements,” he continued in a concluding bout of summarisation, “Star Wars Battlefront 2, for all its faults, remains a game that can get to the kernel of what makes the series so beloved. It’s just a shame that, for now, it’s also inherited some of its uglier excesses too.”

Call of Duty WW2’s base game is available to download as part of PlayStation Plus right now, while Star Wars Battlefront 2 will join the line-up next Tuesday, 2nd June. Both games will remain available until Monday, 6th July.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/05/star-wars-battlefront-2-call-of-duty-ww2-are-playstation-plus-games-for-june-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=star-wars-battlefront-2-call-of-duty-ww2-are-playstation-plus-games-for-june-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

[waynekelton]

The Weekender: Last of 2019 Edition

This’ll be the last Weekender update of the year so enjoy it - the next one will land January 3rd, 2020. This week has been a little bit mixed simply because I’ve been travelling a bit for various company stuff, but I’m glad we got a few updates out. It’s a little sad to think this will be my last GOTY session as Editor, but thankfully there’s still plenty of time until the new people come on board that I don’t have to worry too much about ‘handing over’ just yet.

We’ve got content planned for the Christmas break - got a few op-eds reflecting on the year coming through, and of course the official GOTY post at the end of the month, but other than that, don't expect a lot of news or reviews from now until we’re back.

Out Now

There’s not actually much I feel warrants special attention this week, but I also don’t want to leave you completely in the lurch so here’s a few games that caught our interest:

Firstly, we have another new board game release, huzzah! This one is called King Tactics - War of the Roses, which despite sounding like F2P trash is actually the digital adaptation of The Rose King, or ‘Rosenkönig’, which is a KOSMOS game created by Dirk Henn. It’s a minimalist strategy game for one or two players, with a couple of game modes and online multiplayer. It’s out on both iOS and Android and isn’t that expensive, although beyond that I’m not really sure how else to describe it. Maybe you’ll get more from the trailer than I did:

The next game is Hoop League Tactics. It’s a turn-based strategy game that mainly revolves around making smart choices as to the placement of your players, focusing on their ability to make shots. Each player on your team can either move, pass or take a shot, and there’s a timer of sorts that acts as your stamina so knowing when to make the shot and when to keep pushing is key. Really, it comes down to positioning so that the right player is in the right place, at the right time.

This game is available on both iOS and Android, and as a free-to-download trial with a full-game unlock that’s currently $2.99 - 40% off the full price during December.

The final one is AI Dungeon - this is a free text-adventure game. There’s nothing much to it, but it boats and AI-driven text engine that’ll allow you essentially play forever? It says it’s a “limitless text adventure” thanks to the AI that powers it. Might be worth checking out just for the concept, although it’s only on iOS.

App Updates & News

The Mario Kart Tour multiplayer beta has finally rolled out, although only Gold Pass subscribers can access it for now. It’ll be running from now until December 26th, and will let people play against each other in actual head-to-head matches, as opposed to whatever it is that happens currently.

Hearthstone Battlegrounds has also received a new update (as well as Hearthstone itself), which removes Nightmare Amalgam from the card pool. This is pretty huge, as Nightmare was pretty key to the meta at large, and one of the most sought after cards in the game. Brann Bronzebeard has also been removed from the pool of minions, and plenty of other minions have had their tiers changed as well.

Apple Arcade has also introduced an Annual Subscription option to their new subscription service. It costs $49.99 ($59.99 in Canada) and £49.99 in the UK, which essentially gets you 12 months for the price of ten and saves you around $10.

Also, if any of you have been missing the Eclipse digital board game app, one of our readers made the bold move to ask the table-top game’s creators about a mobile adaptation, now that the boardgame’s second edition is in the works. You can see an image of the reply here.

But essentially the original version is due to return Q1 2020, with news regarding a digital implementation of the Second edition due sometime in Q2.

We’ve also noticed a slew of other updates, including Minecraft Earth, DOTA Underlords, Santorini and more.

App Sales

I wasn’t expecting so big a sales event so soon after Black Friday, but here we are. It’s Christmas in exactly five days, and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to offer up some holiday app sales. There’s honestly a bit too many to list out properly as several publishers have just gone all-out, but here’s a hap-hazard summary of games to look out for that are going cheap:

Seemingly anything currently published by Asmodee Digital. They’re discounts are as high as 75% and this is across iOS and Android.

ACRAM Digital’s Istanbul, Eight-Minute Empire and Steam: Rails to Riches.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar

Star Traders: Frontiers & other Trese Brothers games

All of the Kingdom Rush games + other Ironhide titles

The Banner Saga 1 & 2

One Deck Dungeon & other Handelabra games

Reigns: Game of Thrones

FTL

Holy Potatoes! A Spy Story|?

Holy Potatoes! We’re in Space!? & the other Holy Potatoes games

Motorsport Manager Mobile 3 (Free!?)

Solitairica

Peninsular War Battles

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

Galaxy Trucker

Raiders of the North Sea

There’s probably more, but the tool I use is listing so much from the past 24 hours alone, I'm trying to just skim through for the highlights. I’ve also checked a couple of games that are on both iOS and Android and the majority of sales seem to be on both platforms where applicable, but obviously double-check before you buy.

That’s all for this week’s update, Merry Christmas if you don’t come back to the site much next week, otherwise see the rest of you on Monday!

The Weekender: Last of 2019 Edition published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[mukyoucom]

The Drop: New PlayStation Games for 6/27/2017

From Playstation Blog USA

Ladies, gentlemen, bandicoots: a legend of the platforming genre makes his triumphant return to PlayStation next week, courtesy of the team at Vicarious Visions. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy launches June 30 on PS4!

Play fully remastered versions of the original Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Spin, jump, and dance through tons of classic challenges — and play as Coco Bandicoot, too!

It’s a tremendous week for PlayStation games, so read on for the full list. And enjoy The Drop!

New Releases: Week of 6/27/2017

Aerea: Deluxe Edition

PS4 — Digital (Out 6/30)

AereA is an Action RPG in which music is both your best friend and your worst enemy. As a disciple of the Great Maestro Guido, you have to unravel the mysteries of Aezir. Find out what happened to the world and return the nine primordial instruments to restore balance and bring peace to the world.

America’s Army: Proving Grounds

PS4 — Digital

This free military game focuses on small unit tactical maneuvers and puts you to the test in a wide variety of new, and classic, America’s Army maps.

Ancient Amuletor

PS VR — Digital

Ancient Amuletor is an action tower defense game that throws you into an ancient world to battle magical creatures, monsters, and other legendary foes.

Arizona Sunshine

PS VR — Digital

Arizona Sunshine puts you in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, exclusively in VR. Handle weapons with real-life movements, freely explore a post-apocalyptic world, and put your survival skills to the test with PS VR.

Brawlhalla

PS4 — Digital (Out 6/26)

Millions of players. Frequent updates. Over thirty unique characters. Come fight for glory in the halls of Valhalla!

Cavernous Wastes

PS4, PS VR — Digital

With no memory of where you are and no idea how you got there, you do know one thing: you have to escape. Fly through the maze-like caverns and fight through the automated defense systems while searching for a way out.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

PS4 — Digital (Out 6/30)

Your favorite marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, is back! He’s enhanced, entranced, ready-to-dance with the N. Sane Trilogy game collection. Spin, jump, wump and repeat as you take on the epic challenges and adventures through the three games that started it all.

Cryptark

PS4 — Digital

Cryptark is a 2D sci-fi shooter where you take on the role of a heavily armed privateer seeking to earn government contracts by boarding deadly alien space-hulks. It’s up to you to strategize a plan of attack, pick an equipment loadout, and destroy the central core to be victorious.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

PS4 — Digital, Retail

Beyond hope lies absolute despair. Komaru Naegi and Toko Fukawa make for unlikely heroes as they try to escape Towa City, a town caught in a war between adults and children.

Dark Arcana: The Carnival

PS4 — Digital

Find the missing woman lost in a mysterious Carnival of Horrors. Investigate two worlds: the one you know and an alternate plane existing behind the Hall of Mirrors. Discover the secret of an ancient being known as the Evil One. Reveal the story of star-crossed lovers and stop the Evil One from invading our world.

Diablo III: Eternal Collection

PS4 — Digital

Rise as one of humanity’s last defenders — crusader, barbarian, witch doctor, demon hunter, monk, or wizard — and collect legendary loot while mastering devastating new powers and abilities.

Elite Dangerous

PS4 — Digital, Retail

Elite Dangerous is the definitive massively multiplayer space epic, bringing gaming’s original open world adventure to the modern generation with a connected galaxy, evolving narrative, and the entirety of the Milky Way re-created at its full galactic proportions.

The Golf Club 2

PS4 — Digital, Retail

Rise to fame and fortune in the largest, most dynamic golf game ever created. Assemble and join online Societies with friends, compete in tournaments, and earn money to climb the ranks in golf’s largest gaming community.

JumpJet Rex

PS4 — Digital (Out 6/28)

Simply put, you’re a t-rex with rocket boots trying to save earth from an incoming asteroid. Do you have what it takes to stop it?

Medieval Defenders

PS4 — Digital

Defend your ancestral castle — show the invader who the master is! Build towers, save money, train your spells, and your enemy will be vanquished.

Micro Machines: World Series

PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 6/30)

The legend is back! Micro Machines World Series combines the thrilling madness of racing micro vehicles with epic team battle strategies, set against the extraordinary interactive backdrops of the everyday home!

Plague Road

PS4 — Digital

Set around a city being consumed from within by a disease, Plague Road tells a story of a lone doctor who once left home and now returns in search of those who have survived.

Poi

PS4 — Digital

The Tenth Line

PS4 — Digital

The Tenth Line is a console-style RPG featuring a colorful cast of characters, unique battle and level-up systems, quick 2D platforming action, and an original, fantastical story about friendship, faith, and finding your place in the world.

Tokyo Xanadu

PS Vita — Digital, Retail (Out 6/30)

Tokyo Xanadu a massive action RPG! When high school student Kou Tokisaka encounters the nightmare realm known as the Eclipse, his world is forever changed. Reality distorts as monsters threaten the safety of Morimiya City. Kou must transform his soul into a powerful weapon to defeat the vile Eclipse once and for all!

Valkyria Revolution

PS4, PS Vita — Digital (PS4 at Retail)

Band together to defeat the evil empire and death itself — the Valkyria! As Vanargand’s commander, take control of your elite squad to unleash powerful ragnite spells and utilize mana weaponry on the front lines.

The World of Nubla

PS4 — Digital

Nubla is an adventure that begins in the halls of the Thyssen museum, where we find a character that exists inside the pictures. Following him, we begin a journey that will take us to discover the wonderful world of Nubla, full of puzzles and forgotten places.

DJ Khaled – Grateful

Imagine Dragons – Evolve

Prince – Purple Rain Deluxe (Expanded Edition)

The Fate of the Furious – Director’s Cut

Spark (Spark: A Space Tail)

The Lost City of Z

Street Outlaws: New Orleans- June 26 at 8/7c (Discovery)

Jay Leno’s Garage- June 28 at 9/8c (CNBC)

Broadchurch- June 28 at 10/9c (BBC America)

The information above is subject to change without notice.

crash bandicootcrash bandicoot n sane trilogyPlayStation 4playstation gamesplaystation store

The post The Drop: New PlayStation Games for 6/27/2017 appeared first on Ship 2 Block 20.

http://ift.tt/2s53Fi7