Conquering Super Mario Odyssey's Hardest Level – Episode One

After you get 500 moons in Super Mario Odyssey, you can go attempt the game's most difficult level. It's a long, tough road without checkpoints – and we're going to beat it.

Andrew Reiner and I are going on this journey together. Reiner has already beaten the level on his own time, and while I gave it about two tries before we began recording, I consider this my first true attempt(s). Perhaps it goes without saying, but this video does contain SPOILERS for Super Mario Odyssey. It is the game's last level, after all.

Enjoy the video, and please be nice to me in the comments. I am doing my very best, I swear.

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To see a similar video, where former editor Dan Ryckert and I attempt to conquer Super Mario 3D World's hardest level, head here.

Our review of Super Mario Odyssey
How to make quick coins in Super Mario Odyssey
The secret music of Metro Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey
Our favorite Luncheon Kingdom secret in Super Mario Odyssey
Every transformation in Super Mario Odyssey

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/10/31/conquering-super-mario-odyssey-39-s-hardest-level-episode-1.aspx

Sony Pushing Monthly Active Users As A Primary Metric For Measuring Success

During Sony's financial call, as DualShockers reports, Sony has decided that it will start measuring Monthly Active Users (MAU) as one of the main ways it will measure success of the PlayStation brand. It tracks engagement rather than single-time sales, checking in on how many people are engaging with their services on a monthly basis.

This might sound familiar, as Microsoft announced that they would focus on MAU over hardware sales not too long ago. They update on milestones, as well, taking pride in the growth of users over time.

Sony clarifies that console sales are still important, the more units they sell, the likelier they are to hit a saturation point. From there, what matters is tracking direct interaction with consumers. This can mean things like PlayStation Plus subscription, but more often means things like DLC sales, lootboxes, microtransactions, and the like. Sony is checking their numbers against expectations and growth in those criteria.

It does not necessarily mean anything on Sony's business will change to push these metrics, but they have said they are going to explore that space to better match third party microtransaction revenue. At the very least, they are tracking it and seeing where their own games might better fit into the strategy.

[Source: DualShockers]

 

Our Take
Sony is a business, and businesses are going to do what is best for them, but hopefully they do a lot of audience research before jumping in head first.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/10/31/sony-pushing-monthly-active-users-as-a-primary-metric-for-measuring-success.aspx

Voice Actor From Devil May Cry 4 Gets Asked About A Sequel

At New York Comic-Con earlier this month, prolific voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch (known for roles like Nero in Devil May Cry 4, Protagonist and Adachi in Persona 4, and Kung Jin in Mortal Kombat X) was asked about rumors about a Devil May Cry 5. His reaction, which on paper says nothing, seems to say more on video than he might have wanted to convey.

Bosch has been well-known in the past year to post on social media about performing with Reuben Langdon, the voice and motion capture actor for Dante, as well as many other Capcom characters like Ken Masters and Chris Redfield. The fan anticipation has reached a fever pitch, as Devil May Cry series director Hideaki Itsuno has been teasing, and subsequently apologizing for not revealing, his current project all year.

During the panel, Bosch does not answer, but physically puts his tongue in his cheek and looks away, leading to laughter and applause from the audience. Afterward, he moves on, but he hopefully gave away more than he intended. Check out the video below and decide for yourself if Bosch is being coy.

Capcom has shied away from Devil May Cry in recent years. An attempted series reboot in 2013 was well-liked by critics, but not popular with fans, and failed to outsell Devil May Cry 4. Since then, Capcom has tested the waters with a modern remaster of DMC4, but has not been clear on their plans for the series afterward.

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Our Take
I hope Bosch isn't just being funny, but there have been a lot of rumors pointing toward a new Devil May Cry. Ideally, Capcom has been listening to fans.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/10/31/voice-actor-from-devil-may-cry-4-gets-asked-about-a-sequel.aspx

New Footage Of Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night By Former Castlevania Head

A Kickstarter update for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has come along with a video showing progress on the game.

Halloween is a perfectly appropriate time for new footage of the Castlevania spiritual successor, which is making progress since its demo shown and released to backers at E3 2016. It is headed by Koji Igarashi, who kickstarted the project after leaving Konami and the Castlevania series behind.

Check out the new footage below, but you can find the full backer update with music samples here. Bloodstained is scheduled for 2018 for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and officially still PlayStation Vita.

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Science-Fiction Weekly – Star Wars Battlefront II, Star Trek, Stargate, Godzilla

The second season of Stranger Things is damn good – even better than the first. Outside of a meandering seventh episode, I loved the sense of discovery that was sewn into each character and plot line, never once feeling like the show was running in circles or retreating to familiar territory covered in the first season. This is a show that dares to take chances, and doesn't race toward a conclusion. The creators clearly have a vision for where this thing is going next, and has appropriately paced the narrative to get there.

Similar praise can be showered upon Star Trek: Discovery, which was just picked up for a second season. Showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg signed on to return, and it sounds like it's a huge hit for CBS. "In just six episodes, Star Trek: Discovery has driven subscriber growth, critical acclaim and huge global fan interest for the first premium version of this great franchise," said Marc DeBevoise, president of CBS Interactive. "This series has a remarkable creative team and cast who have demonstrated their ability to carry on the Star Trek legacy." That's great news. We need more sci-fi shows that aren't only found on Syfy.

And we're getting one soon in Stargate Origins, a prequel web series to the long-running (and excellent) Stargate TV shows. We can always use more Stargate in our lives, but this may not be the way you want to consume it. Stargate Origins is a 10-episode series, with each episode running only 10 minutes in length. A release date hasn't be shared yet, but you can take your first look at what MGM is cooking up in this behind-the-scenes video.

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Polygon Pictures' forthcoming Godzilla: Planet of Monsters Netflix movie is looking mighty nice. The latest trailer gives us a good look at the 3D animation style, which I think fits this property incredibly well. Planet of Monsters isn't another origin story; the plot summary makes it sound like an ending. In the year 2048, humankind has admitted defeat against the kaiju, leaving earth for a planet 11.9 light-years away. Their new home isn't what they hoped it would be. They are left with one choice: find a way to take back Earth before the last of their species dies.

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Solo: A Star Wars Story's reshoots apparently accounted for "nearly all of the film." This shocking bit of information comes from "inside sources" that talked to The Resistance Broadcast. You can hear their discussion about the topic on this week's podcast (starting at the 15:50 mark). If this information is true, Ron Howard was apparently a busy man, and Disney invested heavily in making sure this prequel story is up the company's lofty expectations for quality. The previous directors, Christopher Miller and Phil Lord shot for roughly six months before being removed from the project by Disney. Although they only had a few weeks left of shooting, Howard ended up directing another four months of material, which the Resistance Broadcast says is over 80 percent of the film. Shooting is now complete, and, for the time being, it appears Disney is happy with the direction Howard is going with the Solo, which I think is a terrible (but appropriate) name for a Star Wars film.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi advertising is all over movie theaters, and one piece contains a potential spoiler. If you go to an IMAX theater, you'll see a standee that prominently features Luke Skywalker on both the "light" and "dark" sides. Some people strongly believe that Luke is going to the dark side in this film; others think he is embracing both to create an interesting "grey" Jedi. I don't think Lucasfilm would spoil a big plot point like this, and believe Luke is featured on both sides since this is essentially his movie, as The Force Awakens was Han Solo's. Some theaters may not get both light and dark sides, so they added Luke to both of them. Speculate away in the comments section below.

Fan uproar over Star Wars Battlefront II's loot crate system has been heard and addressed by developer DICE. In the final game, fans will find Epic Star Cards, the rarest of goods, are no longer tucked away in crates. You'll now need to reach specific ranks to craft upgraded Star Cards. Weapons can now be reached through milestones, and class-specific gear and items are unlocked by playing with them. Stay vocal, people. Your feedback clearly made a huge change to Battlefront II, and hopefully all of EA's games moving forward. You'll be able to get your hands on this promising Star Wars experience on November 17. For now, check out the new launch trailer below.

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Every Transformation In Super Mario Odyssey

There are more than 50 transformations in Super Mario Odyssey. You will get most of them as you play through the game normally, but there are a few off-the-beaten path and optional transformations that are a little bit tougher to find. Below, you will find the full transformation list, along with notes on where to find them. Note that, especially near the end, there are some big SPOILERS for the game's ending and post-ending content.

If you're more of a visual learner, we've also compiled this list in a form everyone is familiar with – the PokéRap. Leo Vader took the list, made it rhyme (mostly), and set it all to song. Enjoy.

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1. Frog
It’s hard to miss this one. It’s the first transformation you get, and it trains you on the process.

2. Spark Pylon
Another that’s hard to miss. You use it to get from the first world to the second, and you see it a lot in Metro Kingdom.

3. Paragoomba
The easiest place to get the Paragoomba is to return to Cap Kingdom after finishing the game. They are everywhere.

4. Chain Chomp
This is one of the first enemies you will encounter in Cascade Kingdom.

5. Big Chain Chomp
There is a family of Chain Chomps near the T-Rex in Cascade Kingdom. Grab the big one.

6. Broode’s Chain Chomp
You will get this one during the fight against the mother Broodal in Cascade Kingdom.

7. T-Rex
He’s hard to miss napping in Cascade Kingdom, but he also appears in the Dark Woods of of Wooded Kingdom.

8. Binoculars
The green robot creature appears in nearly every level.

9. Bullet Bill
The first place you meet Bullet Bill is in Sand Kingdom going for the level’s main moon.

10. Moe-Eye
You will find Moe-Eye in the Sand Kingdom as you progress normally through the level.

11. Cactus
Look for the Cactus with the green knob on its head on the east side of Sand Kingdom.

12. Goomba
Plenty of Goombas can be found in Sand Kingdom, and just about every other level in the game.

13. Knucklotec’s Fist
Acquired during the fight with Knucklotec in Sand Kingdom.

14. Mini Rocket
These are featured in just about every level. There are a few in Metro Kingdom.

15. Glydon
Glydon appears in most levels, but the first time you will probably encounter him is the highest point in Lost Kingdom.

16. Lakitu
After beating Sand Kingdom, you can find Lakitu in the southeast of Sand Kingdom. He also appears in Lake Kingdom after you finish it.

17. Zipper
There are quite a few Zippers in Lake Kingdom.

18. Cheep Cheep
Cheep Cheeps are all over Lake Kingdom and Seaside Kingdom.

19. Puzzle Part (Lake Kingdom)
There is a blocked door in Lake Kingdom. A rock has fallen on it. After you beat the game, returning to Lake Kingdom removes the rock.

20. Poison Piranha Plant
This one is tricky. You will run into a lot of Poison Piranha Plants, but you need to kick a rock into their face to stun them in order to capture them. If you don’t stun them, they will just eat your hat. The easiest place to find them with rocks nearby is in Wooded Kingdom.

21. Uproot
If you’re playing Wooded Kingdom normally, you will find this guy.

22. Fire Bro
Fire Bros. appear in Wooded Kingdom, but they’re easier to find in Luncheon Kingdom.

23. Sherm
Working your way through Metro Kingdom will put you in contact with Sherms. Same goes for Wooded Kingdom.

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24. Coin Coffer
You will find the Coin Coffer in near the Secret Flower Field Entrance in Wooded Kingdom after you beat the level. He can also be founded in the Deep Woods of Wooded Kingdom and the place where you fought Knucklotec in Sand Kingdom. You just have to return to the area after you beat him. He's a great source of coins.

25. Tree
The tree, which looks like a Christmas tree, is in the Deep Woods of the Wooded Kingdom.

26. Boulder
Look for the boulder in Deep Woods that has a knot on top of it.

27. Picture Match Part (Goomba)
You can find the Goomba picture match game right in the middle of the map.

28. Tropical Wiggler
These guys are a big part of Lost Kingdom. You can’t miss him.

29. Pole
Just look for the orange poles in Metro Kingdom.

30. Manhole
Once you return Metro Kingdom to its sunny self, you will find the manhole with a knot on top of it down first street on your left after leaving the Spark Pylon that drops you into the city.

31. Taxi
Just head straight down the road after leaving the Spark Pylon that drops you into the city and you should see a cab with a knot on top on your right.

32. RC Car
Take the first left after leaving the Spark Pylon that drops you into the city, and you should see a man playing with an RC car. Throw your hat at him.

33. Ty-foo
You can’t miss Ty-foo once you enter Snow Kingdom. He’s the big cloud dude.

34. Shiverian Racer
You will turn into the Shiverian Racer during your time in Snow Kingdom

35. Cheep Cheep (Snow Kingdom)
Just look in the water of Snow Kingdom. He’s purple and hard to miss.

36. Gushen
These guys are all over Seaside Kingdom.

37. Lava Bubble
These guys are all over Luncheon Kingsom.

38. Volbanon
You will find these guys that work a lot like Metro City’s poles all over Luncheon Kingdom, and the rest of the Kingdoms after you beat the game.

39. Hammer Bro
The Hammer Bro is easiest to find in Luncheon Kingdom.

40. Meat
On your way to fight the big bird in the big cooking pot, you will turn into the meat.

41. Fire Piranha Plant
Much like the Poison Piranha Plant, this one is a little tricky. You need to hit to stun the Fire Piranha Plant by ckicking a rock at it first. The best place to do this is in the northwest section of Luncehon Kingdom.

42. Pokio
Pokio the sharp-beaked bird is all over Bowser’s Kingdom.

43. Jizo
This statue can be found in Bowser’s Kingdom. He’s right near the shop.

44. Bowser Statue
When you first enter the lave-filled underworld of Moon Kingdom, you will encounter two Bowser statues. One of them has a knot on its head.

45. Parabones
The Parabones are all over the lava-filled underworld area of Moon Kingdom.

46. Banzai Bill
This is essentially a giant Bullet Bill, and you will come across him naturally as you make your way through the lava area in the Moon Kingdom Underworld.

47. Chargin’ Chuck
Much like the two transformations prior, you will run into Chuck organically as you make your way through the Moon Kingdom Underworld.

48. Bowser
If you beat the game, you will turn into Bowser – and it’s awesome.

49. Letter
After beating the game, return to Metro Kingdom and you will find a collection of giant letters in the park.

50. Puzzle Part (Metro Kingdom)
After returning power to Metro Kingdom by going underground in the northwest area of the map, return to the power generator to solve this puzzle.

51. Picture Match Part (Mario)
This puzzle can be found in the northeast section of Mushroom Kingdom. Just take the Rocket Ship up in the air to get to it.

52. Yoshi
Yoshi can be found in Mushroom Kingdom after beating the game. He is on top of the castle. Use the scarecrow in the back in generate stairs to climb up to the top.

Our review of Super Mario Odyssey
How to make quick coins in Super Mario Odyssey
The secret music of Metro Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey
Our favorite Luncheon Kingdom secret in Super Mario Odyssey

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Fright Factor: Rounding Up Today's Best Horror Games

A modified version of this feature originally appeared in issue #294 of Game Informer magazine.

Halloween is here, which means now is the perfect time to brush up on some horror. Luckily, the past decade delivered a surge of quality spooky games on modern consoles. The genre has gone through ups and downs, but it’s also had its share of novelties. We’ve seen a swelling of combat-free first-person horror experiences, psychological terrors that tackle existential themes, and multiplayer horror influenced by slasher films.

Horror manifests itself in video games in several ways, like limiting players with scarce resources, or frightening them with jump scares. With so many titles to choose from, it can be difficult to know which are worth checking out, so we’ve made a list of recent scary games you won’t regret playing. This roundup will aid you in finding the right game for the perfect occasion, whether you’re looking for a good scare, a thrill ride, or an ominous storyline.

Note: This list pertains exclusively to horror games that are compatible with current generation consoles such as newer titles, HD collections, and remasters.

Jump Scares

Jump scares – despite their overuse – can be incredibly effective in making you leap out of your seat. It’s one of the oldest horror tropes around, seen in several popular horror game franchises from Resident Evil to Silent Hill. Here are some recent games that use them effectively. 

Observer
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Taking place in a rundown apartment complex overrun with both monsters and psychological terrors, Observer tasks you with finding your missing son and unraveling a corporate conspiracy. Despite its strong leanings toward science fiction, Observer is nonetheless a horrific experience filled with effective jump scares. You play as a specialized police officer with cybernetic augmentations who enters the minds of others to recreate crime scenes. It’s a clever take on cyberpunk, where you directly explore the horrors of the mind and take on the traumas of others in trippy hallucinations.

Outlast 2
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Set in rural Arizona, Red Barrels’ Outlast 2 puts you in the shoes of a journalist looking for his wife who was kidnapped by a vicious cult. A majority of the game unfolds in the dark, as you look through your night vision camera to see. You roam through one isolated town to the next, finding plenty of supernatural forces that sneak behind you at a moment’s notice or machete-wielding cultists that pop around corners. Outlast 2 offers one terror after the next, making it an intense experience.

Resident Evil 7
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

As one of the most revered and longstand- ing horror-game franchises, Resident Evil’s newest entry was met with big expectations. While continuing many series traditions, it successfully sets itself apart with a first- person perspective, a Southern setting, and the ability to play in VR. Resident Evil 7 excels in its brooding atmosphere, tense boss fights, and skin-crawling jump scares such as a chainsaw-wielding enemy appearing without warning, or hundreds of tiny spiders falling onto your arms.

Slasher Showdowns

One of the most memorable scenes from slasher films are when the enemy is on the hunt for a helpless victim. Your heartbeat quickens and you hold your breath as you watch. Certain games bring this horror to life, by pitting you against other friends in multiplayer matches as you take turns being the hunter and the hunted. Multiplayer horror is scarce, but when done right, it can be a delightfully terrifying experience.

Dead By Daylight
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Behaviour Interactive’s Dead By Daylight is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that has one player as the killer and four others who attempt to stay alive. The victims search around the map for generators to power the exits. If they manage to power them all up, they can escape – unless the killer stops them. The disfigured murderer stalking the victims can set bear traps and even become invisible, making them incredibly powerful. Dead By Daylight is largely a game of quick thinking to outsmart your deadly opponent.

Friday the 13th
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Story-driven Spooks

Horror is a polarizing genre when it comes to storytelling, and finding a well-told narrative can be tough. With studios like Giant Sparrow and Supermassive crafting fascinating worlds and characters, however, they manage to show us that scary stories can still be engaging. If you’re looking for a choice-driven or movie-like experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat, these titles are worth your time. 

Until Dawn
Platform: PlayStation 4

Taking heavy influence from the ‘80s slasher film genre, Until Dawn is about a group of teens who face unimaginable terrors while staying at a cabin in the woods. As the kids get split up and killed off, you get to play as each teen in separate sequences, which gives off an interactive horror movie vibe. Your story unfolds uniquely depending on your choices, and certain decisions have a butterfly effect, creating unexpected consequences down the line. Who lives and dies depends on you, making this a thrilling ride best played with a group of friends.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Platform: PlayStation 4, PC

This adventure game from developer The Astronauts has you explore the rural countryside to unravel a mystery about a young boy, Ethan, who unleashed a supernatural monster from another dimension. Playing as a paranormal investigator, you spend time searching different areas for clues and notes that help you piece together the story of what happened to Ethan. Although slow-paced, the narrative is compelling enough to keep you hooked as you uncover the truth.

What Remains of Edith Finch
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

One of the best adventure games of the year thus far, Giant Sparrow’s What Remains of Edith Finch tells a morbid, tragic, and at times heartwarming story about a family plagued by a curse. Playing as Edith, the last remaining Finch, you return home to discover what happened to your ancestors who faced untimely deaths. With its intricate attention to detail, vignette storytelling, and characters who feel alive despite their passing, What Remains of Edith Finch is a haunting tale that will stick with you long after it’s over.

Continue reading on the next page to learn about horror games with psychological horror and gore...

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Perception, A Horror Game About Being Blind, Is Out Today On Switch

Deep End Games' horror-thriller game, Perception, is not only out today on Nintendo Switch, but a "remastered" patch has been released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC that adds a host of new content.

Perception is a first-person horror game where the player, who is blind, attempts to explore a house that has more than an average amount of spooks and scares going on. Players see the world in terms of what vibrations and sounds tell them, which definitely makes it easier for things to get the jump on you.

The new remastered patch, which is part of the base Switch version, gives you several difficulty levels to choose from. You can choose to be almost completely free of danger or to dodge it at every turn. There have also been clarifications to the story through new dialogue, gameplay and balance changes, and new lines recorded for the main character.

Perception is currently on sale for $14.99 on Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. You can find our review for the game right here. If you're looking for a scary game tonight, it might be worth a shot. 

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/10/31/perception-a-horror-game-about-being-blind-is-out-today-on-switch.aspx

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Releasing On Xbox One On December 12

Confirmed during a Microsoft Special Event stream, the much-anticipated PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds will be releasing on the Xbox One on December 12, making good on the promised 2017 release date by a scant few weeks.

The game, which is being published by Microsoft on the Xbox One but has been on available as an early access title on PC since April, is Microsoft's big move to get attention for the Xbox One and Xbox One X this holiday. It is not surprising, as Battlegrounds has slowly and quietly become one of the biggest games in the world over the last six months. 

One major change for the Xbox version is that, unlike the PC version, the game will run on Microsoft's internal Azure servers rather than the Amazon servers that are being used now. This also limits any possibility of crossplay, but the possibility was already unlikely due to the differences between a mouse and a controller in terms of aiming.

While there hasn't been a retail version announced, it is not hard to imagine one will come some time after the game's December 12 release date. Xbox One X enhancements like HDR and 4K will also follow some time after launch.

 

Our Take
Microsoft has definitely been in a hurry to get the game out on the Xbox in time for Christmas, but it only makes sense. Having exclusivity to Battlegrounds could end up being a big deal.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/10/31/playerunknown-39-s-battlegrounds-releasing-on-xbox-one-on-december-12.aspx

PlayStation 4 Hits Shipments Of 67.5 Million

Sony, whose financial quarter also ended recently, has confirmed that the PlayStation 4 shipments have topped 67.5 million, indicating that shipment numbers have sped up later in the generation rather than slowing down.

Sony's financial year, like a lot of Japanese's companies, runs from April to the end of March, so this current quarter is the second quarter of 2017 by their accounting. In other words, in the past three months, Sony shipped 4.2 million PlayStation 4s this quarter, which is up 0.3 million from the same quarter the previous year.

While shipments are not sales numbers, they indicate that retailers are ordering more units to replenish sold ones. The number indicates that the PlayStation 4 is picking up pace, which is rare for consoles coming into their fifth years on the market. Even despite more heated competition from rival consoles, the market in general is expanding with Sony selling more PlayStation 4s year over year.

Assuming Sony hits its goal for shipped units by the end of the financial year, they should be hitting nearly 80 million units by April.

[Source: Gematsu]

 

Our Take
The Switch is selling well, but Sony is not slacking at all, and currently still leads the market in the install base. The PlayStation 4 continues to be the most popular console and it is difficult to see if there's any way for the competition to reverse that.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/10/31/playstation-4-hits-shipments-of-67-5-million.aspx

Captain Ginyu Takes The Spotlight In FighterZ Character Reveal Trailer

The captain of the Ginyu Force leads the charge in Dragon Ball FighterZ's newest trailer.

Released October 30 by Bandai Namco Entertainment, the video shows Captain Ginyu in action against Goku. In addition to his own strikes and Body Swap technique, he can summon the other members of the Ginyu Force like Burter, Jeice and Recoome for long ranged beam attacks, tackles, and telekinetic blows.

Players can test out his moves themselves when Dragon Ball FighterZ hits store shelves January 26, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Until then, stay up to date on all the new announcements with our month-long coverage hub.

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Our Take
Those poses though.

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EA And DICE Tune Lootboxes In Battlefront II

During the beta for Star Wars Battlefront II, players noticed that the loot box aspect of the game implied some grinding or paying for what the game called Crates. After heavy criticism coming out of the beta, DICE have announced major changes to the way the crate system works.

Before and during the beta, Battlefront II would only dole out weapons and abilities above the base tier through crates. This on its own could be annoying, but it encouraged players to pay for crates in order to just get the best weapons and abilities from the beginning or get frustrated and pay for crates in hopes of losing less.

Now, DICE have promised to make the following changes:

• Epic Star Cards, the highest tier of Star Cards available at launch, have been removed from Crates
• You'll need to reach a certain rank to craft upgraded Star Cards
• Weapons are locked behind specific milestones
• Class-specific gear and items can be unlocked by playing as them

In short, DICE want to de-emphasize a player's ability to pay-to-win. Now, it is more about putting in the time to unlock weapons through playing as a class. Getting Heavy weapons requires playing as a Heavy and reaching play milestones like kills and wins. Crates are still incorporated in the game, but now do not do everything, which marks a major difference from how it used to work.

A full explanation of the changes can be found here. The post notes that all post-launch content for Battlefront II will be free, which means the crates were likely EA's attempt at monetizing the game post-release without DLC revenue.

Star Wars Battlefront II is scheduled for a November 17 release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

 

Our Take
This is a good change, but one I wonder if EA would have made had there not been so much clamor over lootboxes in recent weeks and months.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/10/31/ea-and-dice-tune-lootboxes-in-battlefront-ii.aspx

Bloodborne Gets A Tie-In Comic Book In February 2018

Fear the Paleblood! Titan Comics just announced a tie-in comic for Bloodborne, featuring an entirely new story set in Yharnam. As reported by Gamesradar, Bloodborne: The Death of Sleep is set to begin the hunt in February.

It's unclear when in Yharnam's timeline the comic takes place, but it features another nameless Hunter embarking on a quest into the dark, beast-filled streets of Yharnam.

Titan Comics, which released tie-ins for The Evil Within 2 and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus earlier this year, has a history of quality licensed comics and the talent behind Bloodborne: The Death of Sleep promises to continue that good work. Bloodborne: The Death of Sleep will be written by Ales Kot and feature art by Piotr Kowalski.

Fans of Bloodborne's Gothic, cosmic horror should expect more of what they love, but Kot also wants to welcome newcomers to Yharnam. "There will be mystery, the weird, the eerie, the horrific and the bloody," Kot said in a press release. "And there will be an undercurrent of decaying romanticism, walking hand in hand with brain-mashing, soul-cleaving action, together ascending towards the Blood Moon as drawn by the talented and depraved Piotr Kowalski. Ascend with us, Hunters old and new."

Although it won't take the place of a proper sequel, Bloodborne: The Death of Sleep seems like a good opportunity for fans to return to Yharnam's plague-ridden streets when it comes out in February. 

[Source: Gamesradar]

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World Of Final Fantasy Coming To PC Via Steam

Square Enix has announced that World of Final Fantasy is coming to PC via Steam on November 21, a little more than a year after it first appeared on the PS4 and Vita.

Gamers have until November 28 to get the Day One edition to get a soundtrack sampler and wallpaper for the game.

For more on the PS4 version of the game (shown), check out Joe's review.

World of Final Fantasy is coming to @steam_games on 21st November!#WorldofFF
⬇️https://t.co/WU97n49TIe pic.twitter.com/T1f9ZV2oWO

— Final Fantasy (@FinalFantasy) October 31, 2017

[Source: Square Enix]

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Hands-On With Shadow Of The Colossus – A Faithful Remake, For Better And Worse

When a Shadow of the Colossus remake showed up at Sony’s E3 event earlier this year, it made a huge but very brief splash. Since then, details have been sparse. The venerated title has been lauded since its release in 2005, but the idea of a remake is simultaneously exciting and worrying for fans who are cautious that a 2017 release can capture what was great about the original.

As a PlayStation 2 game, Shadow of the Colossus stretched that hardware as far as it could go. The massive bosses and vast, open environments forced the framerate into near-unplayable states at times. The filmic look was a visual treat, but could end up really chugging in a way that stressed the extent to which the game was coded to the metal. A lot of these issues were fixed in an HD remaster on the PlayStation 3 made by Bluepoint, the same developers working on this version, but was not the full remake fans were hoping for.

The Shadow of the Colossus remake for PlayStation 4 looks incredible, and can hold its own as a modern-looking title against other titles made from the ground up for the console. Every texture is new, every effect freshly crafted, the world of Shadow of the Colossus has never looked better. The new graphics even retain a level of dirt and grime that helped make said world feel bleak and lonely.

One major change is the density of small touches Bluepoint has added to the world. Moss grows between bricks with flowers popping up here and there. The path to the 13th Colossus has a small forest blocking your way, which is a pocket of lushness not seen anywhere else or in the original title. These small things do start to make the world feel a little different and a little less dead when taken in aggregate. Whether or not that is a good thing depends on how the player interpreted director Fumito Ueda's vision the first time through.

That sense of vertigo when a Colossus takes up your entire screen and, unconcerned with you, flies past your view remains perfectly intact, however.

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The noticeable heft and weight to Wander, the game’s protagonist, that is mostly retained in the remake. He moves slightly easier and jumps with a bit less heaviness than he originally did. It is almost imperceptible, but can definitely be seen when looking for it. Aggro is as stubborn as ever, sometimes coming to dead stops at small rocks in the road. While a new control method has been confirmed, it was not available in the demo.

While the game looks much better, it does make some of the original game’s more forgivable issues on the PlayStation 2 seem weird now. When Aggro has collision issues and vibrates out of control, it looks significantly more jarring than it did on seven-year-old technology. When your view gets blocked by a colossus’ fin covering the entire screen, it feels more frustrating than it did when camera solutions were still being tested and debated.

Some fans might have issues with the small changes the game makes, but the far larger changes make it hard to argue that any other version of Shadow of the Colossus should be someone’s first time through the game. Those intense moments of running alongside a Colossus as sweeping music plays lives on in the remake as powerful as they have ever been, which is what I remember and love about the original.

Shadow of the Colossus on PlayStation 4 is scheduled to release on February 6.

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New Elder Scrolls: Legends Story Expansion Announced

Card game The Elder Scrolls: Legends is getting a story expansion – Return to Clockwork City – on November 30, featuring 55 new cards and 35 story missions.

The new cards featuring five Fabricants (made of both flesh and steel), the new Treasure Hunt mechanic, and Assemble creatures called Factotums that upgrade themselves and confer bonuses on other Factotums.

For more details on Return to Clockwork City, click the source link below.

[Source: Bethesda] 

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The Surge Heading To The Midway With Amusement-Park DLC

Reiner praised The Surge's combat in his review of the game, but was let down by the sci-fi game's drab environments and repetitive gameplay. From the looks of it, an upcoming expansion will address at least one of those criticisms head on. December's DLC, A Walk in the Park, is set in a colorful amusement park built to entertain the CREO corporation's employees and families – or it was before everyone lost their minds and started fighting.

The expansion features crazed maniacs in mascot uniforms, crazed park-maintenance workers in exosuits, and crazed A.I. and machines. In short, the expansion's name may be a little misleading. Fortunately, it includes new weapons, armor, and implants to help you on your way. 

In addition to December's DLC, publisher Focus Home Interactive announced that a complete edition of the game is on the way, which will include the full version of The Surge as well as all of its DLC. 

The Surge is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

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A Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Battle Primer

If you're wondering how combat in a three v. three Final Fantasy team battle title works, Square Enix's new trailer for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT gives you the rundown.

The trailer shows off gameplay as well as explains the different kinds of attacks, classes (including which ones have the edge in the rock-paper-scissors battle), EX Skills, team-enhancing summons, and more.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT for the PS4 comes out on January 30.

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First Images Of Luke Wielding A Lightsaber Come From International Poster For The Last Jedi

We're in the same quarter as a new Star Wars movie, which means that every bit of information drip-fed to us is like a drop of water in the desert. In this case, thanks to the poster for the movie's Japanese release, we finally get a look at Luke with his lightsaber, suggesting Skywalker won't just be sitting back and watching the younglings do all the work.

The lightsaber is the same one that Rey brought to Luke at the end of The Force Awakens, rather than his green one from Return of the Jedi. This is to be expected - why would you even bother to reintroduce the lightsaber as important if he wasn't going to use it? - but at least we can probably say Luke has not been tinkering away at replacing that lightsaber during his sabbatical.

If you're in the United States, you can catch The Last Jedi on December 15, but it is not releasing anywhere in the world before the December 14. I've got my tickets, how about you?

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Report: Japanese Third Parties Unconvinced Of The Switch Are Now Scrambling

The Wall Street Journal, in their reporting on Nintendo's recent financial report that released today, talked to Hirozaku Hamamura, chief executive of Japanese game-magazine publisher Gzbrain (which owns magazines like Famitsu). Hamamura, who is known equally for both extensive insider knowledge about the Japanese gaming industry and his loose lips about the same Japanese gaming industry, told WSJ that big games were coming to Switch much later because third parties were surprised by its success.

Specifically, Hamamura expects that a lot of heavy hitters one would expect to come to Switch won't be there until 2019, due to the prolonged nature of game development and the dawning realization that the system was not going to be another Wii U over the last seven months.

Most notably, Capcom, a publisher who had long been an ally of Nintendo's through both successful and unsuccessful consoles, had been notably absent from the Switch. The near-launch Ultra Street Fighter II sold well despite being criticized as overpriced, and the only follow-ups from the company have been ports of Monster Hunter from a previously-released 3DS game and ports of the two Resident Evil Revelations games.

A Capcom spokesperson quoted in the article explained that getting out software for systems in its first year of launch is rare for third-party developers because there simply isn't enough time to release games within the first year. Capcom developed and published Dead Rising 3 on the Xbox One for its launch.

One third party who got on board quickly with the Switch, Koei Tecmo, struck a somewhat boastful tone last week during a press conference. From the WSJ article:

“We bet big on the Switch as a game changer so we began making games before the Switch’s launch, but many software companies showed reluctance in releasing Switch games before they witnessed the current success,” said Yoichi Erikawa, chief executive at Koei Tecmo.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

 

Our Take
It is difficult to blame third parties for being skittish on the Switch after so many got burned on the Wii U, but any developer hoping a game in 2019 does as well as a game within the first year of launch when there's no brand courting going on is going to end up burned again.

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video feature

Earlier today, during its Paris Games Week presentation, Sony revealed a new indie game called Oure – with the bonus that it's also available starting... now! Leo and I downloaded it right after, and Kyle was kind enough to hop on the sticks and play for us. Check it out!

You may notice some similarities between Oure's chilled-out presentation and past PlayStation 4 games like Journey, Flower, and Noby Noby Boy. Well, at least we did. Take a look at the video below to see Kyle collect some orbs, help a colossus titan, and soar around the skies as a bandicoot-faced dragon.

Oure is available on the PlayStation Store for $19.99.

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