News:: Surprisingly, Titan Quest has received a new expansion

In this new digital age we live in, seemingly any game can get new content. While it was strange to see Age of Empires II HD get some new expansions, I never thought I'd see the day when Titan Quest got some recognition. It was crazy enough that a remastered version was released last year, but now there is a full blown extra act and new skills to master.

Titan Quest: Ragnarok takes players through northern Europe on a quest to thwart something. There isn't a whole lot of information given about the new expansion (other than it featuring Asgardians and Celts), but you don't even need to wait to play it. If you own the Anniversary Edition, you can download this right now! The expansion is currently 25% off on Steam and will be for roughly a week.

Executive producer for Titan Quest, Reinhard Pollice, told PC Gamer, "Since the day we acquired the franchise in 2013, we've been toying around with ideas on what's best for Titan Quest. We were quickly motivated to do another expansion as we realized Titan Quest is still actively played. Unfortunately, it took quite a bit until we assembled a good setup for the project and meanwhile we made ourselves familiar with the inner workings of Titan Quest through the Anniversary Edition which was a huge overhaul of the original game. The end result is Ragnarok!"

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News:: BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle adds Persona 4's Yukiko, BlazBlue's Azrael, and UNIEL's Gordeau

Another crazy fighting game crossover coming next year is BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, and while I should dislike reusing sprites, I love the idea of Yukiko the cardboard queen (yet still my favorite) throwing fans at big musclebound men. 

This latest trailer confirms Yukiko from Persona 4 Arena, Azrael from BlazBlue, and Gordeau's unfortunately long reach from Under Night In-Birth. We're still waiting on the next RWBY character announcement, but I'm sure we'll see more on that sooner rather than later. 

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle releases for PlayStation 4, Steam, and Nintendo Switch sometime next year. 

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News:: Schooled: Learning how to make retro games look amazing

_{[I'm already out of HDMI ports on my TV, but able to think has literally every console under the sun connected to a TV. Get schooled on all the different cables and video signals you need to get even the blockiest of sprites going to a native 1080! ~Marcel]}

Over the past few weeks I've been in the process of hooking up all my consoles to my main entertainment center. My goal was to have every system in one place, outputting in the highest possible quality. Making that happen turned out to be a lot more complicated than I expected. I ended up having to take a crash course in analog video with a metaphorical undergrad in the technical idiosyncrasies of old consoles.

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News:: Hitman's Elusive Targets are back for anyone who missed them the first time

Lazy assassins and newcomers to the trained killing profession are getting a second shot at putting guys in the ground. The big wigs and head honchos who dodged death by way of the assassin never showing up are pressing their luck and coming back to the scene of the non-crime.

IO Interactive is reactivating all of Hitman's limited-time Elusive Targets for those who didn't try them the first time 'round. Elusive Targets are the part of Hitman that hold the highest stakes. You only get one shot at them. If they get away, they get away forever.

So, this feature is specifically for anyone who never had a chance to attempt them. The first target is The Forger on the Paris map, and it runs for the next 10 days. After that, IO reactivate the other five targets one at a time. Don't mess this up.

Elusive Target Reactivation [IO Interactive]

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News:: Bloggers Wanted: Overstuffed

[Alright, a little over halfway through the month and we're not even close to being overstuffed with blogs! Join jaygerbomb and Kerrik52 in telling the rest of the class when you felt filled to the brim with gaming - good or bad! Entries are subject to mass approval from your peers and very moist smooches from yours truly.]

Is there a holiday or time of the year more indulgent than Thanksgiving? I mean, we cook a turkey that weighs as much as three newborn babies, whip up about a billion sides consisting mostly of carbs and butter, and top the whole thing off with nine different pies, all featuring the main ingredient of "excess." It's equal parts disgusting and awesome, and is definitely my second favorite holiday behind our dearly departed Halloween.

But we were so occupied with whether we could eat six pounds of food in one sitting, that we didn't stop to think if we should. That brings us to November's Bloggers Wanted prompt: Overstuffed.

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News:: PlayStation Network's Black Friday deals have begun for PS Plus subscribers

Sony is kicking off its Black Friday deals a little early in North America but don't get too excited yet.

The PlayStation Network sale is currently only for PlayStation Plus subscribers and the deals, well, they're all just big-publisher games like Assassin's Creed Origins and South Park and sports titles like FIFA 18. While that'll be useful for some folks, this list prooobably isn't what you were expecting.

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News:: Try the new ‘Overwatch' hero during the game's free weekend

At Blizzcon earlier this month, the studio behind Overwatch announced a new playable character for the hero shooter: Moira, a healer with evasive and damage-dealing abilities. Last night, she became available to play on PC and consoles -- and wouldn't you know it, Blizzard is making the game free to try out this weekend, starting today.

Via: Glixel

Source: Overwatch, PlayOverwatch (Twitter)

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News:: Your Bad Movie Night Guide, Vol. 10: ThanksKilling

Just in time for Thanksgiving break ... or bemoaning that corporate America doesn't provide a full Thanksgiving break and you've got to burn 3 whole PTO days ... we, the people of Flixist, return from hiatus to bring you the 10th, seasonally-flavored, entry in Your Bad Movie Night Guide: ThanksKilling.

Before we get started, please, for the love of stuffing, don't make the mistake of viewing ThanksKilling 3. The 2012 crowdfunded sequel is in no means funny, and is not the film we're going to discuss here. It may have had a budget 32 times the size of the original (literally), but it is also exactly 32 times less funny. 

The original ThanksKilling is the tale of five college kids who are terrorized)?) by a killer turkey that spouts glib one-liners whilst dealing death by any number of means. If undead poultry gets your goose or your gander, or if you prefer your bad movies to be thematically appropriate, then this is without a doubt the movie for this week.

Recommended uses include viewing for pre-gaming on Blackout Wednesday, or to bring your warring family back together post-Thanksgiving dinner.

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News:: Destiny 2 PC players get their first Iron Banner next week

After getting absolutely stomped in Trials of the Nine last weekend, I have to say, I'm ready for Iron Banner to return to Destiny 2. I could use the confidence boost. The week-long player-versus-player event comes back next Tuesday, November 21 at 1:00am Pacific and runs until November 28.

This'll be the first Iron Banner that PC players can take part in and it's everyone's final chance to secure the Season 1 "Shades of Radegast" emblem by clearing their seasonal milestone.

The token-redeeming reward format remains the same, but this will be it for the first season of Destiny 2 as far as Iron Banner is concerned. The game's second season will bring changes to vendor rewards (you'll be able to put those legendary shards to good use) and offer armor ornaments.

This Week at Bungie - 11/16/2017 [Bungie]

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News:: Dante gets major nerfs, Chris gets buffs in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite balance patch

Despite the disappointing sales, Capcom is still hard at work updating Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. On December 5, a big shakeup will occur with a few characters, as well as some general mechanical tweaks.

To sort of sum up the big stuff, the Reality Stone is getting overhauled a bit, and you can now move forward/backward after getting crumpled. OTG (off the ground) relaunches are now limited to two per single combo, and a bunch of bugs have been squashed.

As far as specific characters go, Dante got hit with the nerf bat significantly, as nearly all of his stats have been changed, including a 10% health decrease, a removal of homing capabilities from nearly all his abilities, and smaller hitboxes all-around. Conversely Chris Redfield got damage increases for almost all of his specials, ranging from 10% to over 100% in one instance (his grenade toss HK explosion damage).

Others are sprinkled in there like Ultron, Thanos, Gamora, and Captain Marvel, but their changes are smaller than the above two. Although I don't have many people to play with I'm still having fun with Infinite, and these changes mostly are a step in the right direction (Dante might be overkill though).

Patch Notes for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – December 5 Update [Capcom Unity]

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News:: VVVVVV lands on Nintendo Switch with local co-op

I've strategically fallen my way through Terry Cavanagh's darling platformer VVVVVV countless times before, but what's one more gravity-shifting romp? The game is out today on Nintendo Switch and this version sports a two-player cooperative mode. That's exactly the sorta thing to spur a triple-dip.

I like my co-op to be more on the hectic side, so I could see later levels being a lot of fun. The Switch version costs $10, which is a higher asking price than, say, Steam or mobile. But still, this game rules.

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News:: Dynasty Warriors 9 is set for a February release

Koei Tecmo's latest entry in the Dynasty Warriors series will be heading West on February 13, 2018. This is one week after the Japanese release date (February 8), though I'm not really sure why any delay is necessary. Regardless, at least the wait won't be tremendously long like with previous installments. As a reminder, Dynasty Warriors 9 will be hitting PS4, Xbox One and PC (via Steam) in the West.

Anyone who pre-orders the game will also receive a bonus costume pack with seven outfits for "fan favorite" characters. Why Lu Bu isn't included in the list is beyond me (HE IS A GOD!), but you'll be able to don Zhao Yun in a Bejing-Opera style outfit and there traditional Chinese undergarments for Guan Yinping, Diaochan, Sun Shangxiang, Lu Lingqi, Wang Yi, and Wang Yuanji. I guess that is neat?..

Dynasty Warriors 9 Western Release Date Revealed, Pre-order Bonus Revealed [VGChartz]

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News:: Tip your favorite Twitch streamer with PayPal

If you want to tip your favorite Twitch streamer, you need to use Bits. The video game-centric streaming service just recently added the tipping system of "cheering" with Bits to its mobile app in hopes that more folks would drop some cash. Now you can fund your Bits account or subscribe to streams with PayPal.

Source: Twitch

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News:: Shadow of War is surprisingly getting some free content this year

EA turned off microtransactions in Star Wars: Battlefront II. Konami is supporting Super Bomberman R with long term free content. And WB is giving out free significant updates for Middle-earth: Shadow of War. What year is it? While the idea of adding loot boxes and so much season pass DLC still doesn't sit well with me, Shadow of War is indeed getting some free stuff to offset it.

As announced by way of their Twitter account, and "Endless Siege" mode is coming on November 21 alongside of a Rebellion mission, as well as an enhanced photo mode with filters, frames and extra textures. On December 5 you'll be able to partake in the online fight pits, and on December 12 you can access the free Brutal difficulty mode that seems to feature permadeath.

Of course this is promoted side by side with the expansion pass, which kicks off on November 21 with the "Slaughter Tribe" (with new fortresses, missions, and gear), followed by the "Outlaw Tribe" (same deal) on December 12. I enjoyed Shadow of War well enough in spite of its excessive monetization, so I'll be back for all this free stuff.

WB Games UK [Twitter]

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News:: SNK fighter Karnov's Revenge now available for Nintendo Switch

Another classic arcade title joins the ACA Neo Geo range, as 1994's Karnov's Revenge is available now on on Nintendo Switch.

The one-on-one fighter is the sequel to shameless Street Fighter II knock-off Fighter's History (hence its alternate title of Fighter's History Dynamite). In fact, the original game was so similar to Capcom's genre-changing smash, that the company sued SNK for copyright infringement. A judge would later dismiss the case.

The game features thirteen street brawlers, including proto-Makoto Ryoko (say that three times fast) and the wonderfully sinister Clown, duking it out in best-of-three brawls. The Fighter's History series had a cute quirk in its "weak point" system. Each character is prone to being stunned should they be attacked on their respective weaknesses, such as the legs or head. Today, the game still packs a punch, even if it is a little rough around the edges.

Karnov's Revenge is available on the Nintendo eShop now, priced at $8.

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News:: Party Planet promises four player Mario Party-esque action on Switch, and a vegan snake

Party Planet doesn't look like much. On the Wii U, it probably would have been forgotten the week it went out when it was one of just two or three releases I covered in my weekly Nintendo Download column (haven't missed a week in many years, even when I'm halfway across the world!). But on Switch, especially in this early era starved of party games, it could get somewhat of an audience.

Developer Mastiff just put out a new trailer for this 30-game compilation, and it involves tried and true ideas from retro games spliced into weird situations, like vegan snake chomping. If you're interested it's also coming physically to Switch (exclusively at GameStop), with a "free sticker sheet."

Remember that weird time in gaming where everyone, from Microsoft to Sony, was trying to keep up with Mario Party? It led to odd but sometimes lovable knockoffs like Crash Bash, and I've learned to never count out a ridiculous sounding party game.

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News:: Review: Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is one of the PS2 classics I remember well enough to know I played it, but have let almost every other detail escape from my mind. Eurocom and THQ's Zelda-like set in ancient Egypt was a fun attempt at a new property that just didn't stick around.

Flash forward to 2017, and THQ Nordic refuses to sit on its long-forgotten properties. I can't say anyone was clamoring for a PC port of Sphinx, but we sure as hell got one.

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News:: The Foil Flingza is coming to Splatoon 2 tonight

If you're gearing up for this weekend's U.S Splatfest, which will see teams battle it out on Nintendo's Splatoon 2 over Sci-Fi vs Fantasy, then you ought to know there's new tool on the horizon.

Today will see the Foil Flingza added to the arena-shooter. A variant on the Flingza roller weapon, the foil edition comes equipped with a Suction Bomb sub and Tenta Missile special. The weapon will go live this evening in the US, with Europe to follow early tomorrow morning.

The Sci-Fi vs Fantasy Splatfest, which sounds pretty damn divisive, begins tonight at 21:00 PT. Pearl is backing the lasers, androids and aliens, whereas Marina prefers to sit in the forest with pixies and wizards. Where does your allegiance lie?

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News:: Damnit, now we expect it

How do you expect me to not expect something even if it's the unexpected I'm supposed to not expect? Now I need a nap.

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News:: World of Warcraft celebrates its 13th anniversary with legacy bosses

I still remember watching a group of my friends pick up World of Warcraft, playing it together on day one. It took me a few months to create my first Orc Warlock, but it was clear from the start when copies were selling out and everyone was talking about it that it would be a hit. That was 13 years ago.

WoW has changed, waxed, and waned considerably since then in flux, but it's still around, and nearly ready to host its seventh expansion presumably next year. For now though you can log in between now and the end of the month to unlock a 13th Anniversary achievement, and grab a gift package (200 Timewarped Badges, and a new quest).

Said package unlocks a quest that leads to battles with classic foes, including Lord Kazzak and Azuregos, infamous old school world bosses. Folks might remember the former by way of a really popular viral video in which players drag him all the way from his spawn to the city of Stormwind, where he lays waste to everyone around him.

Vanilla was a strange time, and I don't know if people are ready for it to come back!

WoW Anniversary [Battle.net]

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News:: Mario Party arcade machine to be localised for the West

A prototype appearing this week at trade show IAAPA 2017, confirms that the Japanese arcade game Mario Party no Fushigi Wonderland is being localised for release in Western locations.

The transition to English-speaking territories is the result of a collaboration between Nintendo, Capcom and arcade manufacturers Raw Thrills. Along with the audio/visual translation, the gameplay is reportedly being streamlined to be more in keeping with the West's view of arcades as a short-but-fun side-attraction -- whereas in Japan a trip to the arcade can be a sit-down, day-long experience.

It is hoped that the localised game, re-titled Mario Party Challenge World, will be ready to ship in Spring of 2018.

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News:: Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon will be getting Poke Bank compatibility later this month

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon are out today, but after booting it up you might notice a missing feature -- Poke Bank support.

Yep, right at launch you won't be able to access Pokemon from other games via the one-stop bank shop (that you still have to pay a nominal yearly fee to use), but it is coming, thankfully. Whereas the original releases took several months to support the crucial app, Nintendo has revealed that the pair of Ultra games will be getting it later this month.

My guess is this is some sort of effort to curb people blazing through the game with overpowered and fine-tuned creatures from other games. It's a typical MMO tactic to release a raid several weeks after release for the same reason (so people don't just rush through the story) -- and two weeks is much easier to swallow than two months.

Serebii.net [Twitter]

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News:: Dragon's Crown Pro receives Elf character trailer, Western release rumour

Atlus have released the third video in their series looking at the of the upcoming PS4 re-release of their fantasy brawler, Dragon's Crown Pro.

This trailer puts the focus on the Elf. Though petite in stature compare to some of her party members. Elf is adept at taking out enemies at range or from on high via her deadly and lightning-fast arrow attacks. Should the opposition get too close, her acrobatic abilities afford her a hasty escape, putting the boots to a few jaws en route.

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News:: Review: Hearthstone: Innkeeper's Tavern Cookbook

My wife and I love cooking. Baking...it's a slow work in progress (and many pro bakers would tell you it's a lifelong process), but we dabble, and are getting better every year.

It helps if you're spurred into action by video game themed material, including the Hearthstone: Innkeeper's Tavern Cookbook, a follow-up to the World of Warcraft Official Cookbook by the same author.

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News:: Video game music fest being held in the UK in January

A two-day celebration of video game music is set to take place next year at the UK's National Video Game Arcade in Nottingham.

The "All Your Bass" event, which will be held in January 2018, will consist of a series of performances and Q&A events featuring industry composers such as Masaya Matsuura, responsible for the kick-ass beats of Parappa the Rapper and Vib-Ribbon, and Rob Hubbard, who made his name with some brilliant and memorable Commodore 64 tunes.

The weekend will also feature a playthrough of Dear Esther, narrated by the game's composer, Jessica Curry, and accompanied by the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Further acts and guests will be announced as the event approaches.

All Your Bass will take place at various locations across Nottingham on January 19-20, 2018. Further information on the event can be found here. Despite the fact this is all happening ten minutes from my house, you probably shouldn't expect to crash at my yard. It's a mess.

All Your Bass event details [The National Videogame Arcade]

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News:: Check out these great Gundam x Pokemon mashups

There are many things in life we all love. Among these things are Pokémon and giant robots, as Megas XLR once told us long ago. You know what we all love even more though? When you take the things you love and combine them together with beautiful execution, like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Well, a recent event at Otaku Cafe in San Antonio brought together the beloved franchises of Pokémon and Mobile Suit Gundam for a custom model competition, resulting in some amazing works.

Such as this Scyther Gundam, which is pretty fantastic.

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