News:: Cave Story creator's Kero Blaster out on PS4 next week

Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya is bringing the amphibian action-platformer Kero Blaster to PlayStation 4 on Tuesday, April 11. Like some of his other non-Cave Story games, it's a name you might've heard mentioned before but never sought out, and if so, this port should be a nice little signal boost.

While the game might not look all that tricky from the trailer alone, just wait until the post-game Zangyou Mode shows up to ruin your day. There's meat on these bones.

"If Cave Story is a rock opera, then Kero Blaster is an album of energetic, perfectly paced pop songs," wrote Jonathan Holmes in his review of the original PC release. "As long as you don't go into one expecting the other, there's no reason you can't enjoy both in equal measure."

Kero Blaster Comes to PS4 Next Week [PlayStation Blog]

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News:: Let's Do Launch: The Quest for the Wii

_{[For bloggers wanted last month, Sir Charles of Shred reflects on one of the crazier periods in the last 20 years, the dawn of the Nintendo Wii. And straight out of New Jersey, no less! ~Stider]}

Despite being fortunate enough to own a major console during every console generation occurring within my lifetime, I’ve only had two console launch experiences. One of them, which I wrote about in my last blog (thanks for reading!), was the Nintendo Switch. The other was once again in search of a Nintendo console, and once again in search of Zelda: for the Nintendo Wii. Allow me to regale you with a tale from the days of yore. A cautionary tale fraught with adversity, triumph, and reflection.

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News:: Major League Soccer gets its first eSports player

A number of European soccer teams have their own eSports players, but what about American clubs? Don't worry, they're catching up. New York City FC has signed Major League Sports' first eSports player, Christopher Holly, to represent the outfit in FIFA tournaments. He's definitely not a newcomer to the game -- Holly has been playing some form of FIFA on PlayStation systems for the past 12 years, and plays well enough that he was the top-rated FIFA Ultimate Team player on the planet in December.

Source: New York City FC

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News:: These iconic Dark Souls rings are real (and not cheap)

My heart skipped a beat when I saw this pair of Dark Souls-inspired rings from Torch Torch.

Just like your accursed player character, you too can rock Havel's Ring to increase your maximum equip load and also prevent fall damage with the Silvercat Ring ("do not attempt this in real life," our non-existent lawyers tell me). They're currently available for pre-order in a few different sizes.

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News:: Humble Bundle and THQ Nordic have teamed up for a PlayStation specific bundle

Humble Bundle has long since eclipsed the idea of being solely about indie games. While they only have limited experienced with any console distribution (previously hosting Nintendo bundles), it looks like Humble is ready to tackle another industry giant. Teaming up with THQ Nordic, Humble is proud to present the "PlayStation Bundle," compromised solely of THQ games and a lot of remasters.

The $1 tier isn't that hot (save for Red Faction), but it really picks up with the "beat the average" tier. Currently going for around $12, you can get both Destroy All Humans games along with a cross-buy enabled version of Legend of Kay. Bump up to the $15 tier and you'll receive both Darksiders and Darksiders II on PS3 and PS4. That is pretty awesome, if totally unnecessary.

Any way you slice it, this is a great deal. $15 for 13 games basically amounts to a buck a title. You can't even find these games on Steam for that cheap and this even caters to PS3 users a little.

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News:: Overwatch's latest comic has more hints for the new event

With today's Overwatch comic, Blizzard looks to the past to drop clues about the next major update. The free web comic, Uprising, ties in neatly to the recent tease about the "King's Row Uprising" mission archive becoming declassified on April 11, which will presumably take the form of an in-game event.

Omnics are fighting for their rights, and as this panel shows, tensions are boiling over in London:

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News:: Smoke clowns on the bball court in arcadey NBA Playground

One of the best commercials of all-time is an anti-drug ad in which a youth fends off peer pressure by emphatically exclaiming "I don't smoke weed, I smoke clowns like you on the bball court." It's the closest mankind has ever come to achieving perfection and it's the only time an advertisement could be considered art. No one disputes this.

We never found out if he made good on his promise. Chances are he didn't. The kid is probably a foot shorter than the weed-smoker and presumably several years younger. He might sink some long range shots, maybe even enough to keep the game competitive. But, the Marijuana Man should have no problem driving for easy layup after easy layup. The scales are going to eventually tip in favor of physical superiority regardless of who takes the moral high ground.

Where this young dude might stand a chance is in NBA Playgrounds, a new arcade-like basketball game from Saber Interactive, a developer whose best-known original work is probably TimeShift. NBA Playgrounds eschews packed arenas to put pros in pickup games. Current and former NBA players are included; some notable inclusions from the trailer are the likes of Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, James Harden, and LeBron James.

It has been a while since we've seen anything like this, with the NBA Street games of the early '00s being the easiest parallel to draw. More recently, we could look to something like EA's 3 on 3 NHL Arcade from 2009 as an example of this sort of formula applied to different sports.

NBA Playgrounds is fast approaching, as it'll release in May for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. It will be priced at $20. There will be solo play, as well as local and online multiplayer options. Finally, an opportunity to take your clown smoking to all corners of the world.

NBA Playgrounds Keeps The NBA Jam/Street Tradition Alive [IGN]

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News:: HTC Vive gets today-only $100 off anniversary sale

It's the HTC Vive's first birthday and to celebrate HTC is cutting prices across the board. Most major retailers are participating by dropping the price on the $799.99 Vive down to $699.99. This ties the Vive's historic low price (during past holiday season).

Arguably the best place to pick up the Vive is at the Microsoft Store. There you get the best discount to $699 and two free VR games: Richie's Plank Experience and Everest VR. While the $100 discount is today-only at Microsoft, the two-free-games offer is an extra promo running until the end of April.

HTC Vive VR System Deals:

• Microsoft — $699 + 2 free games  (list price $800)
• NewEgg — $699  (list price $800)
• GameStop — $699.99  (list price $800)
• Amazon — $699.99  (list price $800)

Of course, in order to run the HTC Vive (or any other decent VR headset) you'll need a fairly beefy PC. The minimum system requirements are a 4th-gen Quad Core i5 or AMD FX 8350 processor along with a GeForce GTX 970 or a Radeon RX 480.

If you're not in a hurry, we'll suggest waiting for the next holiday cycle where select retailers may offer up the $100 discount along with additional bonuses.

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News:: Action-RPG Marvel Heroes Omega coming to consoles

As fans had begun to speculate based on sweeping changes made to Marvel Heroes in recent months, Gazillion is bringing the free-to-play action-RPG over to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this year.

This new version, Marvel Heroes Omega, won't be up to date with the PC game's content, though the company says "regular additions and updates" are planned. As a result, you won't be able to play across platforms or, arguably worse yet, transfer your existing progress or characters to consoles.

Omega will launch with a nine-chapter story campaign and a few other modes, like Operations, Midtown Patrol, and Danger Room, as well as Legendary Missions and trials for loot seekers.

As for the playable roster, "38 Heroes will be available at launch, including Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Storm, Deadpool, and more! Players can also collect hundreds of costumes and Heroes from their favorite Marvel Teams, including the X-Men, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. Iron Fist and War Machine will be exclusive to the Founder’s Pack for a 6-month period."

More specifics, including details about the planned early-access program, can be found here.

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News:: Dragon Quest Heroes II now has a PS4 demo

Ahead of its late-April launch in the West, you'll be able to hack and slash and spell-cast your way through the adorable monster hordes in Dragon Quest Heroes II. A demo for the PlayStation 4 version is now up on PlayStation Network, clocking in at 4.8GB.

You'll be able to get a feel for the sequel's more open-ended structure with a full party of swappable characters, and if you make it to the end of the trial, you'll duke it out with a certain club-wielding boss.

As is, I'm down enough for this game that I may pass on the demo. The first Dragon Quest Heroes was total comfort-food-style gaming for me, and this one now has campaign co-op support. Say no more.

Dragon Quest [Twitter]

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News:: Dawn of War III will have a last-minute multiplayer beta

Juuust ahead of launch on April 27, Relic is holding a beta for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III.

You'll be able to test out the game's multiplayer from April 21 at 10:00am Pacific to April 24 at 10:00am Pacific. Not every aspect from the full game will be accessible here, but with all three factions, 15 elite units, and three maps available, you should get a sense for Dawn of War III's multiplayer. It's less of an all-out war, and more about taking down key structures to work your way into your opponent's base.

If this sounds worth your time, register for the beta right here. Pre-loading begins on April 18.

Open Beta FAQ [Dawn of War]

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News:: Some fans are pissed about Persona 5's localization

Localizing a game is no easy task, especially a game like Persona 5. It's a good game, but also a huge one, and localizing it was apparently a mammoth task for Atlus USA. With reportedly 50% more dialogue in its script compared to Persona 4 Golden, the Persona 5 localization team employed more translators and editors than ever, and according to Senior Project Manager Yu Namba, produced "the best English rendition in the history of Atlus USA thus far." 

Unfortunately, some fans aren't happy with the results.

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News:: None of Japan's new games challenge Monster Hunter

This past week saw the release of Blue Reflection, Musou Stars, Mario Sports Superstars, and a couple of visual novels. Next to Monster Hunter XX, Musou Stars sold the most with over 58,000 copies. Persona-like Blue Reflection came in third with an encouraging 48,000 push.

On the hardware end, the Nintendo Switch calmed a bit from its surge last week. The rest is rather unchanged, though the PlayStation 3 had a near-doubling fling. And little ole Xbox One is still trying.

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News:: Xbox for Easter? Dirt Cheap units for $174 + 3 games

Need an Xbox One by Easter but not willing to spend big bucks to pick on up? Not a problem at all with units going for as low as $174 this week if you know where to look and depending on which Xbox One you're looking for.

The cheapest Xbox One you'll find right now from a major retailer is Dell whose selling the old 2013 released Xbox One refurbished for $174 with three free games: MGSV: Ground Zeroes, PES 2015, and Ryse: Son of Rome. Older games and a older system, but the same Xbox One system in pre-owned condition is going for $230 at GameStop right now.

• Xbox One 500GB Console + Free 3 Games (Refurbished) — $173.97 (list $309)
• Xbox One S 500GB Battlefield 1 Bundle + Resident Evil 7 — $249.99 (list $360)

Another great offer is on NewEgg's eBay page for $250. Here you get the newer Xbox One S 500GB Battlefield 1 console at a $50 discount. Not only that but NewEgg's eBay page is tossing in a bonus $60 with a free copy of the 2017 released Resident Evil 7.

There are several other Xbox One S consoles also on sale at Jet after coupon. Applying coupon code TRIPLE15 at checkout gets you the 2TB Xbox One Red Gears of War 4 Special Edition console for only 339.99 - a historic low off the original $450 list price. Other hot consoles include the BF1 console bundle for $227 after coupon (cheaper than NewEgg, but without the bonus Resident Evil title).

Use Code: TRIPLE15

• Xbox One S 2TB Gears of War 4 Limited Edition Bundle — $339.99 (list $449)
• Xbox One S 1TB Halo Collection Bundle — $289 (list $349)
• Xbox One S 1TB Battlefield 1 Special Edition Bundle — $266.79 (list $349)
• Xbox One S 1TB Gears of War 4 Bundle — $264.49 (list $349)
• Xbox One S 500GB Battlefield 1 Bundle — $226.99 (list $299)

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News:: See exactly how Zelda: Breath of the Wild's vague update impacts performance

You gotta love Nintendo's super vague patch notes. While they might think that "a more pleasant gaming experience" is just that -- a pleasant description -- most people want a little more. Digital Foundry just put the recent 1.1.1 patch for Zelda: Breath of the Wild to the test though and found that yes, it is quite pleasant!

Testing both the previous version and the new 1.11 update, they found that in key areas (read: mostly the starting zone and the infamous forest), there was a definite improvement. While the game does dip to around 20 frames-per-second in either instance, it's a little closer to 30 more often than before.

It's still not perfect as 1.11 can frequently dip into the 20s in busier areas, but it's something.

Read more...

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News:: Review: Paradigm

Paradigm is a game that asks the player to contemplate some tough philosophical quandaries. Its story, which revolves around the concept of genetically engineering perfect prodigal children for the wealthy ruling class, forces the player to think about the idea of the rich furthering their dynastic reign over the poor through absolute and unnatural biological superiority.

Likewise, we're left asking the question of whether a child that was constructed virtually with every aspect of them predetermined by their benefactors could ever be a unique individual that is capable of true, independent thought. Do these children, which were not constructed by natural means, have souls? Could they even be regarded as truly human?

Instead of providing us with an answer to these all-important questions, Paradigm would much rather that we forget about them and engage in turn-based combat with a pug who just happens to be the figurehead for a cult that's dedicated to Glam Metal instead.

You know what? I'm okay with this.

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News:: Due to fan outcry, Blizzard is giving more rewards for Heroes of the Storm 2.0

One of the first things that came up (after Master Skins) in the Heroes of the Storm community after the unveiling of the 2.0 update was -- what's up with all of the progress we've made so far?

Blizzard initially had hoped to assuage veteran's fears by providing a number of loot chests to players, but they put a hard cap on 70 chests, no matter how high your account level may have been. People who had dumped hundreds of hours into the game weren't happy, but the new system seems to have covered pretty much all of their bases.

Now, players will earn all "Epic" rarity chests (up from rare) to a maximum of 55 on top of the five nominal ones they get from having an existing 1.0 account. On top of that, you can now get 10 "veteran" chests (a new box), which drop five items instead of four, guarantee a legendary, and only exist for 1.0 veterans.

Oh, and there's an extra 30 day Stimpack bonus now. Basically Blizzard took the criticism to heart, and upped the veteran program threefold. Very few people are going to actually earn all of the veteran rewards (you need a player level of 1000 to get all 10 boxes, which is probably 1% of the playerbase), but those that are on that level are probably going to feel adequately compensated.

Heroes 2.0 [Battle.net]

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News:: PSA: Lego City Undercover is a mess on PC

I know I shouldn't be surprised that a WB games PC release is utterly broken, but I'm an optimist at heart. I thought that having Lego City Undercover on PC would clear up some of the issues present in the Wii U original, not introduce a whole new heap of problems. A post over on Rock, Paper, Shotgun has outlined some of the more pressing issues present with the game, but a quick glance over at the Steam user reviews will fill you in on the rest.

According to everyone, changing the resolution of the game is impossible. While that wouldn't directly impact performance, even attempting to fiddle with graphical settings results in a black screen. Better still, the accept button on the graphics menu doesn't even work. Trying to Alt-Tab out of the game is futile as the program remains in the foreground above even the task manager.

As for people who wish to play with a mouse and keyboard, you better have a gamepad handy. Mouse support isn't even an option and the game doesn't allow you to mix and match keyboard and gamepad controls (or hot swap between them). If you can somehow manage to get the game to launch, you're greeted with a stuttering frame rate, tons of bugs and eventual crashes to the desktop. For something as low key as a Lego game (which apparently has a history of awful PC ports), I have no idea how this got so bad.

It seems Traveller's Tales (the developer behind the game) is aware of the Alt-Tab issue and has posted this message on the Steam forums; "The team behind LEGO City have asked me to pass on a message that we are aware of alt-tab functionality and windowed mode issues on LEGO City Undercover. We are working on fixing these asap. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by these issues."

Why the game was allowed to release in this state is beyond me. It would be one thing if only a select few people had suffered issues (that is kind of the nature of PC gaming), but not this many. I haven't seen a release this busted since Batman: Arkham Knight on PC; funny how that was also a WB release.

Criminal: Lego City Undercover PC is utterly broken [Rock Paper Shotgun]

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News:: This near minute long wipeout in Zelda: Breath of the Wild is worth your time

Shield surfing isn't something I even knew I could do in Zelda: Breath of the Wild until roughly 50 hours in.

I mean I had stayed away from pretty much all of the pre-launch footage and the innocuous "you can shield surf" loading screen tooltip never appeared for me. So when I got that sweet Hylian Shield and went to town on some slopes, it was on.

HelixSnake thought it was on too. Right as they were about to shred the shit out of some mountain with a flaming shield their ride broke, and the comedy that ensues after is worth a peek -- the fairies even try to save him multiple times!

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News:: Heretical savings: Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War III deals for PC

On April 27, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III will release on PC worldwide for the typical $59.99 list price. For those interested in the real-time strategy game (with hints of MOBA), we've rounded up a number of noteworthy deals for you to peruse. Currently, the standard edition of Dawn of War III is on sale for as much as 25% off.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III Deals

• DLGamer (Steam key) — $49.99  (list price $60)
• Green Man Gaming (Steam key) — $49.99  (list price $60)
• WamesPlanet (Steam key) — £37.49  (list price £50)

For those in the states, the best deal out there on a Steam copy of Dawn of War III is arguably at DLGamer with a ten-dollar discount to $49.99. There you'll find the price reduced to $49.99. DLGamer has the key straight from Sega and offers the pre-order bonus "Masters of War Skin Pack." Details about the skin pack are further below.

The same discount can be found at the popular Green Man Gaming, priced again at $49.99. This is a great deal, especially if you're familiar with its storefront and already have an account (mayhaps with some store credit?). GMG's keys are sourced from an authorized distributor and they make no mention of the pre-order bonus.

Finally, if you reside in Europe or have Euros on hand, the retailer to consider is GamesPlanet. It has a higher percentage discount than either GMG or DLGamer, offering 25% off the £50 list price. GamesPlanet prices its games in pounds, but the key it sells can be activated worldwide and would technically be cheaper in US dollars than GMG or DLGamer. If you go this route just be warned there may be a foreign currency fee, depending on your credit card issuer.

Dawn of War III Pre-Order Bonus

Pre-ordering Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III will net you the game's "Master of War Skin Pack." The pack isn't exactly an absolute must-have, but it will grant you the Dark Queen, Big Kustom, and Ghost Seer skins for each faction's Super Walkers.

Collector's and Limited Editions

If the Standard Edition is not enough Warhammer for you, fans of the series can also pick up the more expensive $65 Limited Edition and $130 Collector's Edition of the game. These are not sold through third-party sites, nor will you find a digital edition sold on Steam, so discounts won't be readily available on either premium edition. Currently, the only way to purchase is on Relic Entertainment's site for full price. These editions come with the game and extra physical goodies.

The Limited Edition gets you the game, pre-order bonus, premium Disc book, official game soundtrack, and art card. The Collector's Edition comes with this plus Gabriel Angelos' iconic "Godsplitter Daemon Hammer" replica (collector's item about the size of a regular hammer), three cloth faction banners mounted on wooden poles, and everything in the Limited Edition.

So if you want a badass hammer for some awesome nail hammering action, head to Relic's site and get the credit card ready, Space Marine.

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News:: Disney finally pulls back the veil on the Cars 3 game, which is Switch-bound

Avalanche Software has a new lease on life thanks to Warner Bros.

After being part of the big Disney gaming excommunication, they've been tapped to develop the upcoming Cars 3 tie-in game, now known as Cars 3: Driven to Win. Evidently it'll launch alongside of the film on June 13, and will "continue the story" after the movie's conclusion, which is a kind of neat idea.

It's described as a "pick up and play party game," and if it's given any amount of love and care, could be an alternative to Mario Kart 8 (especially since a battle mode has been confirmed for Cars 3). I have very little faith in this, but I have a lot of faith in Avalanche. They have a the utmost respect for Disney as a whole, so I hope they were given a lengthy development window.

Check out some new screens for yourself below. When it hits in June it'll arrive on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, and....Switch!

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News:: Charlie Murder and Dishwasher: Vampire Smile are coming to PC 'pretty dang soon'

Punk rock beat-'em-up Charlie Murder went underappreciated when it launched nearly four years ago. The Xbox One was on the horizon and the Summer of Arcade program kind of felt like an afterthought at that point. This was long before anyone knew backward compatibility was a possibility (actually, Microsoft insisted it was impossible at the time) and it seemed like consumers were hesitant to buy games for a system they soon wouldn't play anymore.

Against all odds, Charlie Murder is finding new life on PC, Mac, and Linux sometime in the near future. A Steam page popped up recently that lists its release date as "pretty dang soon." We spoke with Ska's Michelle Juett Silva and she elaborated that the studio's aiming for an April launch and that a date should be set in the coming weeks.

Charlie Murder won't be the only Ska title coming to PC in the near future. A Steam page for The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile also appeared with the same "pretty dang soon" designation. Both games have never appeared on platforms other than Xbox 360.

Silva also told us that the ports are being handled mostly by Ethan Lee, a developer who seems to specialize in bringing games to new platforms. Lee has helped with ports of Fez, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Transistor, Rogue Legacy, and many other well-known games. Ska and Lee already have a working relationship, as he assisted with the Mac and Linux ports of Salt and Sanctuary last summer.

Curiously, the Steam pages for both games list Ska Studios as the publisher rather than Microsoft Studios. This, along with Lee's involvement, seemingly indicates that Ska was able to wrangle them free from any exclusivity agreements that were most likely in place. Either that or some sort of timed-exclusivity recently expired. Whichever it is, it seems Ska has full control of these two games on non-Microsoft platforms.

And, it's to those platforms that you'll have to look if you want to play these titles on current machines. Despite Xbox One's backward compatibility program boasting 300-some games, none of them are from Ska Studios. What's more, there's no indication that they'll be added anytime in the near future. The entirety of Ska's library (save for Salt and Sanctuary) is confined to a console that's more or less dead; with these imminent PC releases, they'll be revitalized for a new audience on a platform that's likely to be relevant for decades to come.

Charlie Murder, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile [Steam via Twitter]

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News:: Star Trek Online celebrates First Contact day with some Steppenwolf

If history turns out like Star Trek predicts, we'll be meeting the Vulcans for the first time in about forty-six years, after the third or fourth World Wars. In the meantime, though, there's Star Trek Online, which celebrated the future-anniversary of First Contact Day with a brand new event that also serves as the best use to date of a reference to the film Star Trek: First Contact. 

Players get to run around a virtual version of rural Montana collecting parts to conduct a reenactment of Zefram Cochrane's famous launch of the Phoenix, humanity's first faster-than-light ship. The kicker comes at the end, though, as players launch their replicas and the song "Magic Carpet Ride" plays, just like it did in the movie. Check out a clip of the relevant scene below. For their trouble, participating players also unlock a custom "rocket launch" novelty emote, and a "holo-emitter" that makes any shuttle they're flying look like the Phoenix. 

Players looking for something a little more substantial can await the next content release coming later in April. Titled "Season 13: Escalation", the free promises more story missions, as well as a major rebalance of the game's space combat aimed at leveling the PVP playing field, as well as introducing more "competitive co-op" content. 

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News:: The Morning After: Wednesday, April 5th 2017

Welcome to the middle. Apple is sorry about its Mac Pro, and promises something big next year, while in other mea culpa news, the makers of Mass Effect: Andromeda will release a bunch of fixes both this week and in the coming months. Rounding it off, we took a closer look at Sonos' new Playbase speaker -- possibly the only speaker you'll need in your living room.

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