News:: Far Cry 3 Classic Edition launches May 29 for pass holders

One of the added perks of the Far Cry 5 season pass is a copy of Far Cry 3 Classic Edition. As much as I'm just fine with never playing the game again (Far Cry fatigue is real and it affects many of us!), it's a nice extra on top of the upcoming zombie-, Mars-, and Vietnam-themed DLC packs for Far Cry 5.

If you're down to get into some mischief on a tropical island and listen to Vaas talk about the definition of insanity, there are a couple of dates to mark down. Ubisoft is releasing Far Cry 3 Classic Edition for season pass owners on May 29, and it'll be available standalone four weeks later, on June 26.

I'm planning to wait on the season pass until the verdict is out for those DLC side stories, but I have to say, I'm digging Far Cry 5 more than expected. Much has been said about the game's dog companion Boomer, but it's actually Peaches the mountain who has won my heart. She's fierce!

Far Cry 3 Classic Edition Release Date [Ubisoft]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/far-cry-3-classic-edition-launches-may-29-for-pass-holders-496189.phtml

News:: Snake Pass has a new Arcade Mode and Switch icon

Sumo Digital's slithering platform game Snake Pass has a little surprise in store for players today.

Along with a new high-score-chasing Arcade Mode that spans all 15 main levels, there's also a long-awaited icon refresh for the Nintendo Switch version. People weren't too fond of the old one.

Arcade Mode is unlocked on a per-level basis, so if you've beaten every level in Snake Pass, you'll be able to play them all in Arcade. The goal is to eat fruit, build up your multiplier, and make it through the gate as quickly as possible. Should you want to start some rivalries, there are online leaderboards, too.

Also, Snake Pass is half price right now if you never got around to it.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/snake-pass-has-a-new-arcade-mode-and-switch-icon-496184.phtml

News:: Play some games that were made on a train

Every year in the lead up to the Game Developers Conference, a game jam is held on a 52-hour train ride that goes from Chicago to San Francisco. The jam, affectionately called Train Jam, is something I look forward to following along with on Twitter as the cross-country train ride is something I've always wanted to do and some really neat game ideas come out of the entries.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/play-some-games-that-were-made-on-a-train-496154.phtml

News:: Street Fighter V gets a dash of Darkstalkers next week

I'm not typically one to cover Street Fighter costumes, but when Darkstalkers is involved, that's a whole 'nother story. Capcom is prepping a trio of Darkstalkers-themed costumes for Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition that'll be available next Tuesday, April 3 at a price of $3.99 per outfit. Here's a peek.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/street-fighter-v-gets-a-dash-of-darkstalkers-next-week-496169.phtml

News:: Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is finally available

Announced towards the end of 2017 with a release date of "soon," Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is finally available for purchase on Steam or through developer Beamdog's website. The re-release of BioWare's 2002 cult-hit is going for $19.99 and includes both of the official expansions alongside the "premium" modules that had been released for the game. That isn't all, as some new content is also available in the form of couple of new adventures and character portraits.

Going for $2.99 each, you'll be able to nab Wyvern Crown of Cormyr, Infinite Dungeons and Pirates of the Sword Coast that promise to add an additional 20 hours or so of content. Infinite Dungeons sounds the most basic, being a procedurally generated dungeon with endless encounters, but the other two seem okay. The character portrait pack (something developer Beamdog has released for its other remasters) is just a collection of artwork you can assign to your character, should you wish.

If you really want, you can even get a "Digital Deluxe" version of the game that includes all of the new DLC alongside the soundtrack for $40. Even if that doesn't tickle your fancy, finally having Neverwinter Nights be compatible with modern systems is a dream come true.

I've longed to play this game again and still even own my original CDs, so I'm sure my save file is hidden away on some back-up disc in my closet. It will be nice to pull that out and properly finish the main campaign for once.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/neverwinter-nights-enhanced-edition-is-finally-available-496161.phtml

News:: Superhot headlines the Humble Indie Bundle 19

The Humble Indie Bundle 19 is another one of those deals where if you don't happen to own most of the games already, you're going to make out like a bandit. It has Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes and Superhot (aka Keep Dodging and Everybody Explodes) along with SOMA, and more.

Pay $1 or more:

• Space strategy RPG Halcyon 6: Lightspeed Edition
  
• Minimalist subway sim Mini Metro
• Tearjerker Rakuen

Pay more than the average:

• Co-op bomb defuser Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
• Existential dread-instiller SOMA
• Reckless bridge builder Poly Bridge
• More games next Tuesday

Pay $14 or more:

• Slow-mo shooter Superhot

It's a good, well-rounded group of games. The bundle runs for two weeks and more titles will be added midway through the sale for anyone who buys into the middle tier or above.

Humble Indie Bundle 19 [Humble]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/superhot-headlines-the-humble-indie-bundle-19-496152.phtml

News:: Qualification for this year’s Overwatch World Cup starts now

The third annual Overwatch World Cup will take place in California this November and Blizzard has now announced how qualification and team-building will play out this year. From now through April 28th, Blizzard will track the average skill rating of every country's top 150 players, and the top 20 countries will get a seat at the Cup. France, South Korea, Thailand and the US will be this year's Group Stage host countries and will automatically qualify, bringing the total number of competing teams to 24.

Source: Overwatch League

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/03/27/qualification-overwatch-world-cup-starts-now/

News:: Why Metal Gear Solid 2's ending speech still matters

Creative mediums are powerful tools, especially video games. Most of us are already intimately familiar with that fact. I mean, you’re on a video game website, you probably wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t interested in video games. Yet other outlets cycle between praising and demonizing them. It’s obvious that this site and its community are always pro-games, but we support them for so many reasons we’d be here all day if we just put those reasons into a listicle. Instead, I’m highlighting one moment in video game storytelling that explains why games support our future.

Hideo Kojima capped off Metal Gear Solid 2 with a profound speech about how art matters to humanity. In some ways, this moment can be seen as a corny Aesop delivery. Yet it speaks a truth we often take for granted… and somehow, it’s even more relevant to us today than it was then. So today would be a good day to dissect this speech and how it illustrates the positive power of games and other media.

And quick heads up, as the title says, this whole thing is about major spoilers in Metal Gear Solid 2! The game’s almost two decades old, we know, but this is your common courtesy spoiler warning.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/why-metal-gear-solid-2-s-ending-speech-still-matters-495992.phtml

News:: Blazing Chrome absolutely nails the feel of classic run-and-gunners

Sometimes you have to look backward to get excited about something in the future. Brazilian developer Joymasher hopes you're willing to do that for Blazing Chrome. After spending half an hour with the game, I'd say anyone who pines for those old-school run-and-guns should bother getting excited for this.

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and its wonders work a couple of different ways. The most-realized effect is that people put on rose-tinted glasses for the comforts of their youth; years later, sometimes it holds up and sometimes it doesn't. But, a byproduct of nostalgia is that it can inspire creators to, in essence, recreate what they hold dear. When this is well-executed, we get something that hearkens back to those fondly-remembered days because the creators understand it just as well as we do.

I can't pretend to know Joymasher's past, but it seems to have involved a lot of Contra and Metal Slug. That's because there's no way Blazing Chrome would feel like such a great retro run-and-gunner if the developer didn't intimately understand and love the source material.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/blazing-chrome-absolutely-nails-the-feel-of-classic-run-and-gunners-496053.phtml

News:: Tri Wing, out soon on mobile devices and PC, attempts to draw in the Mega Man Battle Network crowd

Developer Veak has been working on Tri Wing for a few years now, and it's almost set to jump out of Early Access and onto PCs proper, as well as iOS and Android.

If you couldn't tell by the clip below it's heavily influenced by Mega Man Battle Network, taking place on a grid-based arena, supplemented by ability chips (cards). The gist is that you'll create a deck of cards first, then draw them, and use them to do battle. Right now it's just going to be focused around a versus mode, though Veak notes that a campaign could "potentially" be implemented at some point.

Tri Wing is aiming for a second quarter release on PC, iOS, and Android. It will apparently feature cross-platform play.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/tri-wing-out-soon-on-mobile-devices-and-pc-attempts-to-draw-in-the-mega-man-battle-network-crowd-496126.phtml

News:: PUBG gets new weapon skins, developer 'considering' region-locked servers

A new update has parachuted into survival-shooter PlayerUnknown's Batttlegrounds, bringing with it a huge array of new weapon skins, perfect for garishly dressing-up your arsenal and sticking out like a sore thumb.

Some skins can be found for free in Raider Crates, while others be obtained through the paid weekly Triumph Crates. The new skins have a varying drop-rate between the two types of boxes. Once you've bagged yourself a skin or two, you can apply it via the Weapons menu in the Customisation screen.

Developer PUBG Corp. has also acknowledged recent calls to region-lock servers, which many players believe will isolate areas notorious for cheaters and hackers. Although PUBG Corp. has confirmed that it is considering this option, it's taking the official line that it will improve ping times and linguistic barriers rather than making any reference to cheating players.

The complete statement, along with patch notes, can be read here. The new skins, and their drop-rates, are as follows:

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/pubg-gets-new-weapon-skins-developer-considering-region-locked-servers-496109.phtml

News:: Today's big Sea of Thieves update tackles bugs and performance issues

Rare rolled out a client update today for Sea of Thieves that works to address a range of bugs and improve the performance on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox One X.

Along with the big update, which is detailed below, studio head Craig Duncan and executive producer Joe Neate recapped the game's first week, what's left to fix, and what's coming up next. Notably, Achievements may not be unlocking for all players at all times, but they're still being tracked.

As for future content, Neate says the team has it mapped out. "But then when you get this kind of wealth of data and information and feedback from your players, it really starts impacting 'Okay, what actually do we want to go and tackle next?' So we're right in the middle of those conversations."

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/today-s-big-sea-of-thieves-update-tackles-bugs-and-performance-issues-496160.phtml

News:: Kart racer All-Star Fruit Racing coming to consoles, including Switch, later this year

Early Access indie developers are bringing projects to the Switch en masse, a stark contrast to the Wii U and even Wii eras. That includes studio 3DClouds, who is working with publisher PQube to bring All-Star Fruit Racing to consoles.

Already in Steam Early Access it's set for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, and will arrive in July, presumably alongside of the final version of the PC edition. For those of you who haven't played it, Fruit Racing features four-player split-screen, 21 courses, items, and eight-player online support.

As long as it's not beat to market by a few others it'll probably do well on Switch. Until that Sonic racer arrives on the platform you don't have many kart choices outside of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a few stragglers like Coffin Dodgers.

All-Star Fruit Racing [Steam]

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/kart-racer-all-star-fruit-racing-coming-to-consoles-including-switch-later-this-year-496125.phtml

News:: Angry Joe details his Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game

Joe Vargas, better known by his online persona as Angry Joe, has revealed details on tabletop game he currently has in development, based on Capcom's legendary Street Fighter series.

Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game is an officially licensed card battler for two to six players, with multiple gameplay styles. The game utilises a three-dimensional playing mat, dice and a deck of cards to recreate battles among some of Street Fighter's most popular characters, with each fighter able to perform "combos" by utilising battle cards unique to each character.

One of the game's biggest draws are its finely crafted playing pieces. These cool-looking figurines currently include Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Zangief, Vega and Sagat, with a planned expansion featuring Akuma and M. Bison. The current prototype models have improved drastically upon their original concepts.

The Kickstarter for Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game opens on April 4. A pledge of $80 will bag you a starter set, while $120 will also get backers the boss expansion and stretch goal characters. A commitment of $280 also nabs you future expansions, planned for Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighters III, IV and V.

Angry Joe has stated that should the game prove successful, he plans to produce alternate editions of the game focused on other fighting franchises, such as Mortal Kombat and Dragon Ball Z.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/angry-joe-details-his-street-fighter-the-miniatures-game-496108.phtml

News:: Don't worry, the surprise Tempered Deviljho quest in Monster Hunter: World is coming back

Over the weekend Capcom dropped a surprise on its high-level players -- a bout with a Tempered Deviljho. The Deviljho was always a given, but after the userbase noted that it was a bit too easy the publisher pulled the switch and unlocked the harder Tempered version without warning.

Some folks thought that this was their one window to get in on the action, but Capcom is reminding us that the harder fight will be included as part of the Spring Blossom Fest event. You'll have from April 6 to April 19 to run it, among other event quests and the community effort to create the Wyvern Ignition Great Sword.

This is Monster Hunter: World's first major seasonal event, following bits of free and paid DLC like the Street Fighter V and Horizon Zero Dawn crossover events.

Monster Hunter [Twitter]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/don-t-worry-the-surprise-tempered-deviljho-quest-in-monster-hunter-world-is-coming-back-496122.phtml

News:: Over 1.1 million viewers tuned in to a single Fortnite stream last night

Online multiplayer Fortnite has once again smashed stream records, with a YouTube broadcast last night breaking through the one million viewers milestone.

The stream, held by Spanish player elrubius, saw 100 YouTubers gather to fight it out on the popular team-shooter, with most of the participants similarly broadcasting the event on their own channel. At one point, elrubius' original stream had a total of 1.1 million viewers in the audience, and that's not even counting those watch the other participants' individual streams. That's insane.

Whether through quality, fashion or otherwise, Epic Games' Fortnite really is something else right now, only last week we reported on over 600,000 viewers tuning into Twitch to watch rapper Drake take on popular streamer Ninja in a digital free-for-all, as well as looking into Ninja himself,  who claims to be making in the region of half a million dollars a month streaming the game online.

You can check out the replay of elrubius' rumble to end all rumbles below.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/over-1-1-million-viewers-tuned-in-to-a-single-fortnite-stream-last-night-496107.phtml

News:: Cannes bans Netflix because progress is bad

The resistance against Netflix and award validation has taken a new twist. As reported by THR, the streaming giant has been banned from competing in the Cannes Film Festival and thus banned from winning its coveted award, the Palme d’Or. The head of Cannes, Thierry Fremaux, explained that this is because Netflix refuses to release their films in theaters and instead does so on their streaming platform. A new rule has been put in place for this year’s Cannes Film Festival in which films squaring off for the Palme d’Or must have a French theatrical release. This doesn’t prevent Netflix from showing films at Cannes, it just removes them from the competition.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/cannes-bans-netflix-because-progress-is-bad-496094.phtml

News:: Ratings board points to Ikaruga on PlayStation 4

Ikaruga is one of those games that can't be ported enough. The vertical shoot-'em-up is a bona fide gem, the kind of shmup that even people who "don't really mess with shmups" can learn to love.

A recent listing with Germany's ratings board suggests that we'll see the game again before long, and its next stop is going to be on PlayStation 4. Treasure is handling the port, according to the USK.

The last time we saw Ikaruga was four years ago, on Steam, so it's been a while. And as much as it probably goes without saying, I hope Treasure has more than just PS4 plans in mind.

Ikaruga [USK via Gematsu]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/ratings-board-points-to-ikaruga-on-playstation-4-496090.phtml

News:: Final Fantasy XV director Tabata is leading new Square Enix studio Luminous Productions

Although the reaction to Final Fantasy XV was a bit mixed at launch (I loved it), Hajime Tabata has proven himself to Square Enix  time and time again for over a decade, and earned his place near the top.

While he's still hard at work on DLC for XV he's always mentioned that he's going to start work on a new big project when the time is right, and for both Square Enix and Tabata, that time seems to be now. The duo have just announced the creation of Luminous Productions, a new studio led by Tabata.

Their goal is to "[develop] new AAA titles, and [bring] innovative games and other entertainment content to a global audience," while "utilizing innovative technology and creativity to change the future of gaming and entertainment.” Let's see what Tabata and company have got!

Luminous Productions [Square Enix]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/final-fantasy-xv-director-tabata-is-leading-new-square-enix-studio-luminous-productions-496119.phtml

News:: NVIDIA's Quadro GV100 GPU will power its ray tracing tech

Last week, NVIDIA unveiled its RTX real-time ray tracing technology at GDC. It has the potential to change the way artists and developers work in 3D, by letting them quickly render realistic scenes. The only downside? It was meant for video cards the company still hasn't launched yet. At its GPU Technology Conference (GTC), the company announced the first GPU that can power RTX, the Quadro GV100. Like the recent $3,000 Titan V, it's a powerhouse card built on NVIDIA's next-generation Volta architecture.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/03/27/nvidia-quadro-gv100-gpu/

News:: UK studio Team17 reportedly planning £200 million stock market float

UK developer/publisher Team17, most famous for the Worms series, are reportedly plotting a huge IPO float, in the region of £200 million, on the London Stock Exchange. The financial decision is poised to make the company the biggest third-party publisher in the UK.

The news was reported in The Times, which states that the official announcement is set to happen within days. The British studio is no stranger to huge financial maneuvers, having received a near £17 million investment in the company, by the Lloyds Banking Group, back in 2015.

Founded in 1990, Team17 made a name for themselves in the home computer market, before taking their wares to consoles with franchises such as Worms and Alien Breed. More recent ventures include publishing The Escapists and Yooka-Laylee.

Though development is handled at the company's Wakefield headquarters, publishing is handled in Nottingham, my home town. Rest assured I will be knocking on their door post-sale, asking to borrow a tenner.

Team17 plot £200 million stock market float [The Times]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/uk-studio-team17-reportedly-planning-200-million-stock-market-float-496069.phtml

News:: The New York Excelsior take Stage 2 of the Overwatch League while Shanghai Dragons remain 0-20

The Overwatch League has had some great moments this season as it finishes up Stage 2 of 4 (the playoffs will follow), one of which happened earlier this week. The New York Excelsior took Stage 2 from the capable London Spitfire, who were ranked at 

9-1 and 8-2 respectively. Right on their heels are the Philadelphia Fusion and Seoul Dynasty with 7-3 records, and the Los Angeles Gladiators and Boston Uprising aren't too far behind at 6-4. 

Sadly, the Shanghai Dragons ended at 0-10, the same record as Stage 1, taking them to an 0-20 start. The team has been dealing with myriad problems including roster changes and even a coach stepping down amid allegations of overworking the Dragons; and they're hoping to bounce back next Stage with some alterations.

The Excelsior are the team to beat, as Saebyeolbe, Mano, Meko, Jjonak, Ark, and Libero have consistently proven themselves throughout the first two Stages.

Overwatch League [Blizzard]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/the-new-york-excelsior-take-stage-2-of-the-overwatch-league-while-shanghai-dragons-remain-0-20-496117.phtml

News:: Darksiders: The Documentary officially released

Gameumentary is proud to share with you our first feature length documentary covering the Darksiders franchise.

The documentary is over an hour and a half long and covers everything from Darksiders I, II, Jesper Kyd's involvement in the series, and more. We put a lot of work into this production and we really hope you enjoy it!

Oh, and the cover art you see below was made by a fan for our cover art contest for physical copies of the documentary that will be sent out to Kickstarter backers, in case you were wondering.

In the next couple months we'll be continuing this story by releasing documentaries on both Airship Syndicate and Gunfire Games.

Be sure to thank Destructoid's parent company Enthusiast Gaming for helping to make this possible. Without their big contribution to our Kickstarter campaign we wouldn't have been able to do this.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/darksiders-the-documentary-officially-released-496063.phtml

News:: Fortnite Battle Royale's 'Starter Pack' is live now for $5, grants roughly $6 of V-Buck currency

It's been rumored for a while by way of an early leak, but Fornite's Battle Royale starter pack is now live. In essence you're buying this one-time deal for $5, and you'll get an outfit and 600 V-Bucks (roughly $6) out of the deal. You have until April 1 to grab it.

There is one stipulation worth mentioning -- naturally, the 600 V-Buck reward isn't quite enough to buy most of the good stuff (that will run you 900 or more V-Bucks) or the Battle Pass for season three.

You can find the pack here on PS4, here on Xbox One, and in-game on PC.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/fortnite-battle-royale-s-starter-pack-is-live-now-for-5-grants-roughly-6-of-v-buck-currency-496130.phtml

News:: New Gundam Breaker releasing on June 22, coming to PC

With a newly released trailer for the upcoming game, Bandai Namco has confirmed the western release date for New Gundam Breaker. It will be arriving on June 22, which is sooner than many may have expected. In a surprise addition, the company revealed that the game would also be coming to PC alongside the PlayStation 4 version.

You can check out the new trailer below.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/new-gundam-breaker-releasing-on-june-22-coming-to-pc-496087.phtml

News:: Pinball adventure Yoku's Island Express is shaping up nicely

I'm writing this one as much for me as for you. Yoku's Island Express is a platforming pinball adventure that has slipped on and off my radar a few times now. It's still on track for a Q2 2018 launch on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and I love the premise of matching pinball mechanics with a more expansive character-filled game world. This latest trailer still has me rooting for it.

Yoku's Island Express makes me think back on past titles that have also done Cool Things with pinball like Devil's Crush, Sonic Spinball, and Odama. I think there's plenty of room for more of these pinball-inspired concepts and I hope we see developers continue to go down that road in the future.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/pinball-adventure-yoku-s-island-express-is-shaping-up-nicely-496070.phtml