News:: Ocelot finally joins Metal Gear Solid V FOB missions in August update

Konami has that an August update is coming to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The update adds a few new features, among the most notable is the ability to play as Ocelot in FOB missions.

You won't be able to change his uniform or head option, but the post notes that Ocelot has a "slightly increased camouflage value." He also reloads and draws his weapons faster, can use one pistol in each hand with the Tornado-6, and can also use ricochet bullets on marked enemies.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2u6tZt7

News:: AtGames puts out another flop with the Sega Genesis Flashback

I knew it. Predicted it weeks ago, that the newest clone console offering by AtGames would be utter shit. And it's too bad; I have owned several AtGames products and, from a manufacturing perspective, I found the actual construction and design of their devices to not be too bad. But especially when it comes to Sega Genesis, they can't seem to fucking get it right. The Sega Genesis Flashback with its familiar classic design, cartridge slot, and 720p HDMI output could have been a winner.

I haven't used this particular device yet, but my past AtGames experience has not been good. I was a pretty heavy collector of Genesis games when clones started popping up, and they always have the same issues; incompatibility with numerous titles, processors that can't handle the games properly, and poor sound. And the early reports coming out are indicating that not a whole lot has changed.

The first thing that caught my attention was the absence of Ecco the Dolphin titles. I can understand not including them in a Genesis collection -- they are pretty niche and unpopular for the most part but are pretty standard in most Sega compilations. Oh no, what bothers me a lot more is the unwanted inclusion of a quarter library of games replacing missing ones that are nothing more than shitty knock-off titles that were never Genesis games to begin with. You know, classic Sega Genesis games we all remember like Adventure in the Park, and Bomber. The same sorts of generic, barely playable titles you see on a million Chinese clone consoles. Complete crap.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2tKxW7r

News:: The Sexy Brutale is coming to Switch

The cult indie hit, The Sexy Brutale, will be making its way onto the Switch in Japan. While that isn't exactly a confirmation of a Western release, website Nintendo Everything did come across a PEGI listing for the game. That hasn't been officially announced, but it would seem silly to bring such a decidedly Western themed game to Japan and not overseas.

Nippon Ichi will be publishing the title in Japan for a fall release. If this somehow doesn't end up making it onto US Switch consoles, then just remember that you can easily create a foreign Nintendo account and download games on your own Switch. Hell, this might even have a full localization ready to go!

The Sexy Brutale confirmed for Switch, out this fall [Nintendo Everything]

 

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2w7xfWF

News:: Try to figure out what the hell is happening in BlazBlue: Central Fiction 2.0's opening video

BlazBlue: Central Fiction's 2.0 update will be hitting Japanese arcades next Thursday, August 3. To give players a teaser of what's to come, Arc System Works has shared the opening video that shows literal glimpses of the new character, Jubei, in action. I honestly have no idea what I watched, but it certainly is flashy and colorful.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2tQDP7l

News:: The D-Team is hungry, and only a boat can get them to their dinner party

Fun fact: I haven't stood on a boat in a few years. My friends and I used to rent out a medium-sized, beat-up vessel once every summer and host a three-hour tour around some of New Jersey's finest beaches. Our trips weren't for sightseeing, whale watching, or anything all that family friendly. We were there to get hammered, sloshed, and rip-roaring drunk. Puking overboard was acceptable -- encouraged, even! -- on our annual booze cruise, as was dancing, chain-smoking, and general buffoonery. As far as we were concerned, our boat was in international waters. Anything goes under pirate law, baby!

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2h9Lk3d

News:: Review: Atomic Blonde

Atomic Blonde looks like one of those scrappy little action flicks that has a slow burn of success. Think of things like John Wick or Taken. Films that succeed because they're cram full of action and their plots actually engage. It's practically a new genre of its own, bucking the trend of high budgets and settling instead of intense fight sequences and more dead bodies than a cemetery. 

Looks can be kind of deceiving, however. While Atomic Blonde definitely serves up some action, it's an odd outlier from what you'd normally expect, and that is aside from having a female lead in a genre almost completely dominated by males. See Atomic Blonde isn't one of these revenge/bad guys/save the day films, it's a cold war spy thriller that someone shoved a bunch of brutal fight sequences into. 

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2vf9fnV

News:: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is getting eviscerated on Steam

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is finally not tethered to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and all is right in the world. People can grab the game they want and move on from whatever Activision thought was going to be the future of gaming's most popular series. Everyone is happy and can finally stop their eyes from rolling at consumer unfriendly business practices.

Well, not exactly. A quick glance at the Steam user reviews for MWR shows that not a lot of people are pleased. While I think $40 for a single remastered game is a bit much, price isn't even the factor that is aggravating the audience. It seems there are a whole heap of problems that have plagued this port.

According to most of the comments, the multiplayer is riddled with hackers, dedicated servers have been dropped and mod support is completely absent.  General performance is also quite spotty, with microstutters, an FPS cap and poor mouse support. Couple that with a lack of players and it seems the MP is basically dead. Call of Duty 4 grew on PC thanks to its more PC friendly features, so its odd to see Activision remove most of those standard offerings.

A lot of people agree that the campaign mode was given proper care while the multiplayer component has been tarnished due to Activision's greed. Not having played this myself, I can't say one way or the other, but it is truly baffling how Activision shoved microtransactions into a 10 year old remaster. That just reeks of money grubbing.

Then there is a litany of people that have just spammed the reviews section with curse words and little critical insight. I can understand being miffed that Activision ruined something so important to you, but without providing any thoughtful critique on the game, your words are going to get ignored. When you need your plumbing fixed, for instance, you don't call up the plumber and call him a fat sack of shit for screwing the pooch last time.

Whether or not this is going to have any actual impact on the Call of Duty series remains to be seen. While the last few games haven't approached the numbers that Black Ops II set for sales, the series has still been the top selling game of each year it was released. Despite all of the backlash and outrage that fans have, Call of Duty remains popular. It has become the Nickelback of gaming, though Nickelback never actually had a good album to compare with Call of Duty's great beginnings.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2vf4VVJ

News:: Japan strikes again, turning great artists Van Gogh, da Vinci, and more into cute anime boys

Look, you don't need an introduction to Japan it's weird visual novels. You know there are games about dating tanks and horse princes. In this game, titled Palette Parade, you play as a woman working alongside a harem of handsome (and famous) aritsts, including Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Gustave Courbet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

After taking an open position at the struggling Palette Art Museum, the player must work with the above artists plus three additional unannounced characters to create a Palette Parade to promote the museum. The three new characters are thought to be Michelangelo, Claude Monet, and Frederic Bazille as they are referred to in existing character bios. 

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2eVedPR

News:: Please don't not vote now: Should we call our video show Baby Fingers?

Two roads diverged in a youtube channel,
And sorry I cannot publish both
And be one vlogger, Lyle stood

And looked down the youtube comments one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth, a hairy ass;
Then took a vote, as just as fair,
To have the community share the blame.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2tKTTDs

News:: Fall as far as you want in Super Mario Odyssey, you're not gonna die

Mario is a legendary jumper. For decades now he has leapt skyward, maybe headbutting a block before making his inevitable descent. The man is a master of the parabola, that's no hyperbole. Hell, there's a reason his original name was Jumpman.

But what goes up must come down.

Super Mario Odyssey will place Mario in some precarious positions, often incredibly high in the sky. Like, he may get to the tallest building in New Donk City, several times higher than he could ever jump in a single bound. And he may fall. But don't fret! He'll be fine.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2v55Sjc

News:: Weird collab of the week: Final Fantasy XV's Regalia joins Forza Horizon 3

Maybe you are like me and had a double-take on that headline, but yes it's true. At this year's ChinaJoy event in Shanghai, Microsoft announced that the Regalia from Final Fantasy XV will be joining the collection in Forza Horizon 3. If you have either game installed on your Xbox One by August 1 it will be free, but there is no word yet on what the price would be otherwise.

Collaborations seem to be more and more common these days, and perhaps more and more odd. Though when there is already a cool Hot Wheels add-on why not? I see no harm in using as a way to cross-promote games while giving fans something fun to enjoy, especially when it's free.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2uG21ry

News:: Doom is free on PS4 this weekend

I'm sure most people with any interest in the genre have probably gotten around to playing Doom. It's one of the best FPS games around, and I'm speaking as a huge fan of the original games. In a bit of a surprise move, Bethesda recently announced that current Doom DLC will no longer be behind a season pass, available to anyone who purchases the base game. And now if you own a PS4 and still haven't had a chance to try it out, you can play Doom for free this weekend in its entirety.

Of course this will require you are a Playstation Plus member, also a necessity if you want to enjoy the online multiplayer modes it has to offer. Multiplayer in Doom started out kind of shitty, but quickly improved as new updates were released. I still think SnapMap was a bit of a letdown, but find myself playing the various Deathmatch modes from time to time. It's good simple fun.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2eUFRMZ

News:: EA had a good quarter, and Mass Effect was a key factor

Mass Effect: Andromeda has had a tough year. It launched to a tepid reception from both consumers and critics. It had technical and tonal issues. Word got out that there was a very strained development process. It was enough that EA eventually decided to shelve the series for the foreseeable future.

Despite all of this, EA is praising Mass Effect: Andromeda's performance with regard to the way it affected the bottom line. In EA's first quarter 2017 prepared comments to investors, CFO Blake Jorgensen states that net sales were $775 million -- up $93 million over the same quarter in 2016 and $25 million above expectations. He explains this by saying "Year-on-year growth was driven by the Mass Effect: Andromeda sales captured in the quarter and by FIFA.

Jorgensen also mentions that digital sales set a new first quarter record for EA. Digital sales brought in a revenue stream of $681 million which is up $93 million on Q1 2016. Additionally, full game downloads increased 32 percent with a revenue total of $111 million. Mass Effect: Andromeda was cited as a key source in growing both of these areas.

But, to be perfectly fair, Mass Effect: Andromeda was destined to represent year-over-year growth for EA. That's because EA's major first quarter releases in 2016 were UFC 2, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, and Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 (although that actually launched at the tail-end of the fourth quarter). Andromeda was going to dwarf those other games based on name alone.

EA doesn't make any concrete mention of how Mass Effect: Andromeda performed. There's nothing about whether it was profitable or how many units it moved or how it did compared to EA's expectations. There's only vague comment about how it positively influenced specific segments. That alone is telling. Mass Effect: Andromeda was good enough to contribute to a solid quarter in a meaningful way, but it wasn't good enough to warrant more Mass Effect in the near future.

Electronic Arts Prepared Comments [Electronic Arts]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2tQjj6z

News:: The American Dream's political satire could be undone by how fun it is to play

The American Dream is a virtual reality game developed by Australians that explores America's relationship with guns and gun control. I say this because I want everyone to lay their cards on the table – even if you don't agree with the game's thesis or don't understand where the developers are coming from, I'm asking you to look at what The American Dream is and whether it will be successful in what it sets out to do.

Because that's my primary concern about this game: I'm worried The American Dream will be too much fun to play. In most cases, that wouldn't be a bad thing – especially in the context of virtual reality developers still feeling out how their vision fits the hardware. This is a tremendously entertaining VR shooter, I could spend all day slamming magazines into a well-greased chamber in slow motion. And that works for the game's opening hours, where the eponymous Carousel of Progress-style theme park attraction shows you all the everyday American tasks you can accomplish with guns, like flipping hamburgers by shooting them off one grill and onto another.

But! The demo I was shown earlier this week (as well as an earlier demo I saw at PAX East) was a tongue-in-cheek joke at the expense of America's love of guns. However, I was told the game would eventually take a darker tone, one that portrays guns as dangerous weapons – in the broad strokes, much like how Spec Ops: The Line goes from a generic military shooter to a Heart of Darkness-like.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2uG3G0v

News:: Abigail may look ugly, but he seems to have a lot of potential in Street Fighter V

Abigail might be brain-damaged in his Street Fighter V incarnation, but if he's formidable/viable, pros will pick him. Based on some early testing in the lab, it seems that way.

His OTG (off-the-ground) combo potential is pretty insane, and he's hitting some really huge damage numbers with fairly easy combos. Combo master Desk perhaps shows them off best --several of Abigail's basic abilities crumple his opponents and set up an easy OTG combo, and his armor (ability to withstand attacks and continue marching or acting) is insane. Then again his startups are pretty slow, so countering all of this is possible.

I've been messing around with Ed lately, but I might give Abigail a shot. I'd just have to use the alternate character model at all times.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2uFCaAd

News:: The 'Final Fantasy XV' bromobile invades 'Forza Horizon 3' next week

Final Fantasy XV's Regalia hot rod is coming to Forza Horizon 3 next week. So yup, you can continue that game's epic road trip across Horizon's digital Australia come August 1st. Assuming you've played either game on Xbox, next week you'll get an Xbox Live message containing a download code.

Source: Forza

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2v54HA6

News:: Eskimo Bob is a new NES game out on Steam

It's been a lot of fun playing new games for impressions and reviews, but I am an old man now. I have at least ten gray hairs, maybe more. And I'm really stuck in the past. So when I discovered Eskimo Bob: Starring Alfonzo today on Steam, based on an old Newgrounds cartoon series, I was pretty ecstatic.

Eskimo Bob is a game by Spoony Bard Productions. Originally a Kickstarter project developed for the NES, it is also available for pre-order as an actual NES cartridge. This is not a PC game; it's a Nintendo game running on the PC, and as far as homebrew games go it would convincingly fit into the original NES library.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2tKl5Cr

News:: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age releasing outside of Japan in 2018

Square Enix ha announced that the latest entry in the Dragon Quest franchise, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, will be releasing in North America and Europe in 2018. While it did not mention what platforms the game would release on when it comes west, it did confirm that the game is being localized into five languages, including English.

It's important to note that Dragon Quest XI released in Japan today for PlayStation 4 and 3DS. A Switch version is also in the works, however no details have been provided for it and it does not have a date at this time. The video also doesn't say if the international release will be on multiple platforms or not.

Square Enix promises that more details will be coming this fall. Hopefully when it releases we get at least the 3DS and PlayStation 4 versions. They seemed different enough to warrant both being localized. Some of the special editions for the game in Japan even bundle them together!

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2eUJWkl

News:: Niantic is being sued by some Pokemon Go attendees

As you may have seen, Niantic had their hands full last weekend with their "Pokemon Go Fest" in Chicago, an event that brought thousands of players out to the city.

The game buckled under the stress and basically didn't work for most of the day, an issue Niantic took the blame for and blamed on network carriers. As many have pointed out it's strange that the company wouldn't plan for this with wi-fi devices from multiple carriers (they kept repeating that Sprint was an "official partner" so they're taking care of it), but what's done is done.

But even with the apologies, a handful of people (said to be "20 or 30") are joining together to sue Niantic by way of a class action lawsuit. They claim that since the game was broken and the lines to get in the festival were "hours" long, that the event's promises fell under the realm of false advertisement.

It seems like folks aren't suing for duress or emotional reasons, but rather, they're seeking travel reimbursement -- a step beyond the refunding of tickets and the "$100 Pokecoins" that were handed out by Niantic at the event. The suit alleges that some people flew in from other countries and all across the US. Niantic declined to comment on the suit.

Well, it's a mess, and a teaching tool. I feel for those families who wanted to say, surprise their kids/spouse and ended up having a miserable time.

Some Pokémon Go Fest attendees are filing suit against Niantic [Polygon]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2v4oFv5

News:: The best PC-gaming gear for students

While many of you will likely make your school computer some sort of all-purpose laptop, a few of you need something that can also withstand extensive gameplay sessions. For that reason, we've included in our back-to-school guide a handful of gaming-specific notebooks along with three GPUs, should your existing rig be due for an upgrade. Already have a system you're happy with? Treat yourself to a mouse, keyboard, or a game or three.

Source: Engadget's 2017 Back to School Guide

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2tKqlpw

News:: Review: The Emoji Movie

You know, for the longest time, I thought this movie was a joke. Something invented by film producers to have a laugh. A prank that writers bounced around, but never dared to seriously consider, lest their career be stamped with a black, inky mark. However, yesterday I rose from my desk, and stuffed my wallet and phone into my pocket. Dread sunk into my chest. I checked my watch, and decided if I didn't want to be late, I should leave in the next five minutes. I met the world outside, locked my door, and shuffled down the stairwell into the parking lot. Soon, I found myself at my local cinema. I bought a medium soda that was anything but medium, had my ticket torn, and pressed myself into a cold leather seat. As the Sony logo rose onto the screen, finally, I accepted that The Emoji Movie was not a joke.

We are the joke, and The Emoji Movie is an insult aimed at us, spitting in our eye and pissing in our coffee.

The Emoji Movie
Director: Tony Leondis
Release Date: July 28, 2017
Rated: PG

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2v4vMng

News:: WWE 2K18 getting ultimate John Cena fan set

Are you one of those folks who still hates John Cena with every fiber of your being, even though it's been 15 years? If so, you might not want to pre-order this collectors edition for the upcoming WWE2K18.

The "Cena (Nuff)" set, limited to 30,000 copies, includes the deluxe edition of the game, along with the season pass, a hilariously gurning action figure (with reversible shirt!) rare cards for WWE mobile game SuperCard, and a piece of the canvas from the 2017 Royal Rumble, framed alongside a signed photo of the rapper/street-fighter/soldier/movie-star/slave/champion.

It's genuinely a neato boxset for a Cena fan, and it had better be at $150/£130. I'm not surprised to hear it's been fifteen years for the cheesy muscle box. I'm hoping he calls it a day soon whilst his body is still relatively in one piece.

WWE2K18 launches on PS4 and Xbox One October 17. PC and Nintendo Switch versions to follow.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2tJuoST

News:: My Dissidia Final Fantasy NT beta keys brings the lurkers to the yard

Confirmation keys will be going out next week. If you missed the first chance, we've got more!  To join the closed beta, just follow the instructions listed in the widget below. You'll receive an email within a few hours with a confirmation, and then everyone's got one next week at the same time.

No social media accounts or any of that stuff are required to enter. Good luck!   

DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY NT PS4 Closed Beta Key Giveaway

 

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2tJULby

News:: So what's up with the ending to Miitopia?

The 3DS’s days may be numbered, but the plucky little handheld isn’t ready to call it quits just yet. Today it’s seeing the release of two new first-party games in Hey! Pikmin and Miitopia. Both are cute, late-in-the-game entries to the 3DS library that hopefully won’t be too ignored. I spent more than three dozen hours in the world of Miitopia and found myself smiling through much of it. It’s weird, it’s quirky, and it has a charm all its own. And then it ends, concluding in a way that left me in disbelief after such a delightful jaunt through its world.

Heed this warning: I am about to spoil the ending of Miitopia, a game that just came out. If you are playing it for yourself, look away. In fact, go get one of those Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind machines to wipe your memory of ever clicking this link.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2v6s7Vq

News:: See how PS4 to Vita remote play fares for Dragon Quest XI

One of the first things I learned about gaming culture/history is that Japan generally has a "Dragon Quest Day" where students skip, leading to officials urging Enix to release them on weekends. To see something gaming related have that much of an impact on a country's culture at large really opened my eyes to how powerful they could be, and as our own Jonathan Holmes has explained, they've become increasingly more accepted over time.

As for Dragon Quest, it's still kicking. Here's a short clip of an official demonstration of remote play from PS4 to Vita for Dragon Quest XI, just so you can have a taste of how it runs. Love the Slime fingernails!

Dragon Quest XI is out tomorrow on PS4 and 3DS -- the Switch version is coming later.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2uJq2wr