Apr 2, 2018 | Game ON news

Monday, April 2, 2018

News:: Far Cry 5's soundtrack keeps me coming back

Far Cry 5 has been a game full of surprises for me -- some good, some bad, some amazing.

I ended up buying it on a whim the night before launch. Despite playing and liking every Far Cry to date (even Primal!) , I just wasn't interested in Far Cry 5 leading up to its release. I was skeptical of the doomsday cult angle. I wasn't totally sold on the setting. I didn't think I needed another Ubisoft open-world title right now. But, at the last minute, something in the back of my mind went off -- I decided I wanted nothing more than to mess around in Montana with assorted animal buddies at my side.

On that front, Far Cry 5 has delivered. It's risky to make this claim before giving my thoughts enough time to settle in and solidify, but it might be my favorite in the series. There are caveats, of course.

Far Cry 5's soundtrack keeps me coming back screenshot

News:: What's on TV: 'Legion' and 'Seth Rogen's Hilarity for Charity'

Tonight March Madness comes to an end, and this weekend the F1 series stops off in Bahrain. In between, it's time for season two of FX's mutant series Legion as well as the premiere of The Last O.G. on TBS starring Tracy Morgan and Tiffany Haddish. Netflix has another slew of new movies and TV shows, including a Seth Rogen comedy special that features Tiffany Haddish, Sarah Silverman, Michelle Wolf, John Mulaney, Michael Che, Michael J. Fox, David Chang, Ike Barinholtz, Chelsea Peretti, Kumail Nanjiani, Jon Lovitz, Jeff Goldblum, Sacha Baron Cohen, Nick Kroll, Post Malone, Chris Hardwick, and Craig Robinson.

If you're looking for a different kind of gaming experience this week, keep an eye out for Minit, an adventure game that youp lay sixty seconds at a time. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/02/whats-on-tv-legion-and-seth-rogens-hilarity-for-charity/

News:: Treasure-hunting hack-and-slash City of Brass comes out in May

I didn't realize how much I wanted a first-person action game with a whip-wielding protagonist until now. City of Brass has been doing its thing on Steam Early Access since September, and now the former BioShock developers at Uppercut Games are in the home stretch with a May 4 launch on the docket.

This is a rogue-lite adventure for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in which you'll hunt for precious relics, slash up cursed souls, and use your whip to stun foes, set off traps, and even swing around.

The biggest factor for me will be how City of Brass handles and how well the procedural elements hold up over time, but I like most everything I've seen about the game, especially its color palette.

Treasure-hunting hack-and-slash City of Brass comes out in May screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/treasure-hunting-hack-and-slash-city-of-brass-comes-out-in-may-497042.phtml

News:: Latios and Latias make Pokemon Go a little more legendary

Just as how the mainline Pokemon series started to become bloated with legendary beasts around Generation 3, Pokemon Go will be introducing a few more legendary creatures into the mix. Latios and Latias will be available starting today for a limited time during raids. For a month long period, Latios will be exclusive to North America, South America and Africa while Latias will be seen in Asia and Europe. On May 8, the two will switch positions before disappearing on June 5.

In an effort to help trainers actually nab these two dragons, Niantic has stated that Pokemon with moves strong against dragon types (such as Mawile and Tyranitar) will also be appearing more frequently in raids while Latios and Latias are available. There are no mentions of the CP levels for each creature, but seeing as how other legendary monsters are around 25,000, I'd guess that (and then cry that I can't actually catch them).

Latias and Latios Fly into Regional Raid Battles! [Pokemon Go Live]

Latios and Latias make Pokemon Go a little more legendary screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/latios-and-latias-make-pokemon-go-a-little-more-legendary-497037.phtml

News:: What we're watching: 'The Magicians'

This month contributing editor explains the highs and lows of Syfy's book adaptation The Magicians, while Senior News Editor digs into what he likes about professional Overwatch competition.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/02/what-were-watching-the-magicians/

News:: Blizzard is shaking up the Overwatch League Stage Finals

The Overwatch League picks back up this Wednesday with the start of Stage 3. Based on how Stage 2 culminated (Philadelphia Fusion beat London Spitfire and then narrowly lost out to New York Excelsior), there are plenty of reasons to be stoked for the playoffs. Today, Blizzard announced a few format changes which should help bring about even more dramatic moments and potential upsets.

Going forward, the stage playoffs will include the top four qualifying teams, not just three, and Blizzard is switching to a bracket system. That means we'll now get three matches on Stage Finals Sunday.

"Here's the fun part: while the top-seeded team at the end of each stage no longer has a bye into the title match, they'll now have the benefit of selecting their first-round opponent. They could choose to match up against any of the lower seeds, and they will play their chosen opponent first on Stage Finals Sunday. This choice will be announced once the four participating teams are confirmed and the No. 1 seed is locked in—which may not happen until the very last day of the stage!"

Again, these changes should give rise to entertaining moments for Overwatch League fans, especially as some of the middle-of-the-pack teams come into their own these next few weeks. The tiebreaker rules will be the same as before (map differential), and the same goes for the Stage Finals prize pool -- the winning team will walk away with a $100,000 bonus and the runner-up will earn $25,000.

Expanding the Stage Finals [Overwatch League]

Blizzard is shaking up the Overwatch League Stage Finals screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/blizzard-is-shaking-up-the-overwatch-league-stage-finals-497036.phtml

News:: After a hiatus, Amazon's Breakaway is no more

One of Amazon's three upcoming video games just wasn't able to come together.

Double Helix's team-based fantasy sport brawler Breakaway went on an "indefinite hiatus" in October 2017. Over the weekend, Amazon Game Studios issued a status update confirming what felt inevitable: Breakaway is no longer in active development, and the team is now pursuing new ideas.

Since our last announcement, we have worked to implement community feedback and iterate on Breakaway's core gameplay. While we have developed many ideas and made a lot of progress, we are also setting a very high bar for ourselves. In spite of our efforts, we didn't achieve the breakthrough that made the game what we all hoped it could be. After a lot of soul searching, the team decided to focus on new ideas. As a result, Breakaway is no longer in active development.

We remain exceptionally proud of the team's work, and feel privileged to have been a part of such a dedicated and enthusiastic community. We will reach out to this channel as soon as we have news to share regarding our new projects, and if a thunderbolt of inspiration strikes that leads us back to Breakaway, you'll be the first to know.

I think the writing was on the wall after last year's hiatus, but my heart goes out to Double Helix. The team was on a roll with Killer Instinct and Strider, and it's a bummer to see that momentum fizzle out.

Amazon still has New World and Crucible in its games lineup, and I'm excited for (and increasingly anxious about) the former game. It's an MMO sandbox title about building a colony in a cursed land with supernatural creatures and back-stabbing players running amok. I'm way into that concept.

Update on Breakaway's development status [reddit]

After a hiatus, Amazon's Breakaway is no more screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/after-a-hiatus-amazon-s-breakaway-is-no-more-497028.phtml

News:: We have 500 codes for the new PUBG 4x4 map alpha test

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is about to get more chaotic than it has ever been before. The two PUBG maps in rotation are both 8x8 kilometers, and that has helped dictate the pace of matches. Now, PUBG Corp is going to experiment with dropping all 100 players on an island that's one-fourth that size.

Starting tonight, PUBG is running alpha tests for its new "Savage" map that's 4x4 km in size. The test period runs from April 2 at 7pm Pacific to April 5 at 4am Pacific. If you want in, we got you covered.

We've stumbled across 500 alpha codes for the Savage map. To get one, just follow the link below. It's first come, first served so there's no use waiting around.

We have 500 codes for the new PUBG 4x4 map alpha test screenshot

News:: Chasm's launch window emerges ahead of PC, PS4, and Vita release

After what feels like an eternity, Chasm's just a few months away from release. The action-adventure game, which debuted on Kickstarter five years ago, was confirmed for a Summer 2018 launch window today, alongside a short new trailer.

Chasm's side-scrolling gameplay and pixel art environments evoke a Castlevania-like sense of adventure, though according to developer Bit Kid, each of its six worlds features procedurally-generated environments for a randomized take on metroidvania exploration. Daltyn, the game's plucky hero, will have to traverse dangerous terrain and avoid traps while descending deeper and deeper into a mine plagued by supernatural creatures as he attempts to save the small village of Karthas.

Chasm's launch window emerges ahead of PC, PS4, and Vita release screenshot

News:: Rivals of Aether reveals last DLC character, releases today

During their April Fools' "Direct" stuffed with shenanigans, the Rivals of Aether team snuck in a reveal of their latest DLC character. As creator Dan Fornace and character designer Marc Knelsen teased on Twitter late last year, Elliana is a dangerous noodle who fights with a flying mech. She's also the game's "last original DLC character," at least for the time being.

Her reveal trailer not only features a backstory full of gorgeous furry art and racist birds, but a demonstration of her moves. She seems to pack some heavy-hitting projectiles and the ability to fly, but with some kind of overheating meter that prevents her from spamming these moves nonstop. I'm curious about some of her quirkier tricks, like her self-destruct ejection and her smokescreen.

But it looks like Rivals players don't have to wait long to find out, since yesterday Rivals's Twitter confirmed she and fellow DLC challenger Sylvanos release on Steam tomorrow. Which is today! It's almost like they knew we'd be too busy to share this news during April 1. Weird.

Rivals of Aether reveals last DLC character, releases today screenshot

News:: Another wacky topic planned for Japan's next Splatoon 2 splatfest

Hot on the heels of the latest splatfest news from North America and Europe, Nintendo Japan have got in on the action, announcing the next splatfest topic for Switch arena-shooter Splatoon 2.

Scheduled to take place later this month, the next Japanese splatfest asks players whether they prefer Unknown Creatures of Advanced Technology. I guess what they're asking is whether you have a fascination for the phantasmagoria of undiscovered species, or whether you are much more interested in the realities of science and technology. The splatfest is sponsored by JAMSTECH: The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

Pearl will be backing Team Unknown Creatures, while her DJ pal Marina will be in the corner of Advanced Technology. I always saw Marina as the character more prone to the power of imagination, with Pearl being the more grounded-in-reality type. In fact, when they did Fantasy vs Sci-Fi, that was they way the characters voted. Get your lore in order, Nintendo.

This splatfest will take place April 21 from 15:00 JST until the same time the next day. Here in the West, America will battle it out over Baseball vs Soccer, while Europeans can decide whether popcorn should be sweet, or as salty as I am when Off the Hook act out-of-character.

Another wacky topic planned for Japan's next Splatoon 2 splatfest screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/another-wacky-topic-planned-for-japan-s-next-splatoon-2-splatfest-496981.phtml

News:: Danganronpa 1 and 2 hit 200,000 in sales on Steam, V3 added to bundle to celebrate

It's nice to see studios get excited over big sales numbers that aren't in the multi-millions. Spike Chunsoft just tweeted out that they've peddled over 200,000 copies of Danganronpa 1 + 2 on Steam, nearly seven years after the release of the original on PSP.

If you haven't picked them up yet you can now grab 1, 2, and V3 by way of a new bundle, which nets you 10% off the $90 asking price of all three. For reference 1 + 2 are still $20 each pre-discount, and V3, still fairly new, is $60. Or you can go for another bundle -- just 1 + 2 for $35.

Spike Chunsoft [Twitter]

Danganronpa 1 and 2 hit 200,000 in sales on Steam, V3 added to bundle to celebrate screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/danganronpa-1-and-2-hit-200-000-in-sales-on-steam-v3-added-to-bundle-to-celebrate-496980.phtml

News:: Scrolling ninja brawler Sengoku 3 returns on PS4, Xbox One and Switch

Hamster have dropped another classic SNK arcade title onto modern-day platform as part of their ever-expanding Neo Geo ACA range. This time, however, we've gone beyond the 1990s, with scrolling brawler Sengoku 3.

Originally released in 2001, in the final, never-say-die embers of the arcade scene, Sengoku 3 ignores the story of its predecessors to present a more traditional tale of warring ninja clans. One or two players can choose from a selection of heroes, each with their own stats and fighting styles, before proceeding through three levels packed to the brim with sword-wielding foes, fan-tossing femme fatales and umm... venomous toads.

As a more modern take of the brawler genre, the game features multiple attack patterns as well as dash attacks, projectiles and a selection of special moves. Clever chaining of these attacks can also produce long, room-clearing combos.

Sengoku 3 is available worldwide on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, and in Japan on PS4, priced at $8.

Scrolling ninja brawler Sengoku 3 returns on PS4, Xbox One and Switch screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/scrolling-ninja-brawler-sengoku-3-returns-on-ps4-xbox-one-and-switch-496976.phtml

News:: Massive Xenoblade Chronicles 2 patch fixes bugs introduced with the New Game Plus patch

While a lot of you are skipping out on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or have already finished it, Monolith Soft has been doing a low key excellent job of updating the game. They added countless quality of life changes into the mix as well as massive additions like a New Game Plus mode, and with massive patches come glitches.

The studio has been swift to patch those as well, as version 1.3.1 was mostly just introduced this week to rectify a handful of problems that came in the last patch. They've also addressed a few oversights (there's a new NPC that lets you restore your money once in NG+ so you can buy the Abyss Vest at the start) and made room for the rest of the season pass in the main menu.

The full patch notes are below.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 [Nintendo]

Massive Xenoblade Chronicles 2 patch fixes bugs introduced with the New Game Plus patch screenshot

News:: Owlboy will land on PS4 and Xbox One next week

Owlboy will finally make its nest on PS4 and Xbox One next week on April 10. If you're holding out for a physical edition of the game, that will be available on May 29 for Switch and PS4 (sorry Xbox One players). While the small delay stinks, at least the game hasn't be cancelled for other platforms.

Owlboy will land on PS4 and Xbox One next week screenshot

News:: 10 years later, 'SpyParty' hits Steam Early Access on April 12th

Chris Hecker, the creator of SpyParty, is smiling and gesturing wildly over the open lid of a laptop showcasing the game's six new, upgraded maps. After 10 years of development, SpyParty is finally going to land on Steam Early Access on April 12th, and Hecker is barely containing a cacophony of emotions -- not all of them bad.

"That's fucking crazy and I'm terrified, like literally, abject terrified, and my anxiety level is through the fucking roof," he says. "But I'm excited too, and we'll see. There's a whole bunch of things I'm concerned about with that and excited about that. Like the fact that I have the best online competitive gaming community ever."

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/02/spyparty-steam-early-access-date-chris-hecker-interview/

News:: New Street Fighter V patch notes apparently not April Fool's joke

During the Top Eight of yesterday's Street Fighter V NorCal Regionals, Capcom relayed to the stream's commentary team that a balance update was coming to the flagship fighter this week. The commentators were instructed to specifically mention it wasn't an April Fool's joke.

Later that day, an entire list of patch notes for Street Fighter V Ver.3.5 dropped on official blog Capcom Unity, listing changes that have gotten many players thinking that it might be a joke. Top-tier monsters like Cammy and powerful folk like Menat received new buffs buffs, whilst struggling bottom five fighters, such as Juri, received further nerfs.

Alongside balance changes implemented for the entire 30-strong roster, the new update plans to overhaul the game's Crush Counter system, notably adjusting the scaling for CC combos. Also of note, once again, throw techs and V-Reversals have been tweaked.

It's apparently all quite legit. Although SFV is generally in a somewhat better place right now than it ever was, the fact Capcom can drop a full list of patch notes, and leave the community so confused about the balance changes that they think it might be a prank, simply writes itself. Even a bunch of the world's best players took to twitter to shrug at the whole affair.

Street Fighter V 3.5 will reportedly go live on April 3, no beta this time, just going straight in, it seems. You can find the full list of patch notes right here. Sucks to be Ryu, or Birdie, or Mika, or...

New Street Fighter V patch notes apparently not April Fool's joke screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/new-street-fighter-v-patch-notes-apparently-not-april-fool-s-joke-496973.phtml

News:: Mega Man Star Force is getting a massive Sound Box soundtrack compilation for Mega Man's 30th

Mega Man Star Force kind of gets left out of the general "Mega Man conversation," but Capcom is changing that, at least for a brief period in July.

The publisher just announced that they're printing a Shooting Star Rockman Sound Box, which is a soundtrack compilation involving the entire Mega Man Star Force series. It's a three-disc set that covers the entire sub-franchise, and for the first time, will include music from the third game. It'll run you 3,800 yen (roughly $36), and will release on July 4.

All copies will include composer comments in a little booklet. I'm not a big enough Star Force fan for this (every time I want to replay the series I just gravitate toward Battle Network) but I know you're out there!

Mega Man Star Force Sound Box [Capcom via Rockman Corner]

Mega Man Star Force is getting a massive Sound Box soundtrack compilation for Mega Man's 30th screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/mega-man-star-force-is-getting-a-massive-sound-box-soundtrack-compilation-for-mega-man-s-30th-496985.phtml

News:: Video Review: Detective Pikachu

Welp, thanks to Amazon being a bit late with my copy of the game and other unforeseen events in my personal life eating up most of my time, I didn't get to play much of Pikachu's latest adventure until late last week. However, I managed to finally sit down, set up my recording gear, and play through Detective Pikachu in two sittings so I could deliver this latest video!

That said, I absolutely do not recommend playing this game to near completion in two sittings. This game feels like something you'd play a single chapter of and then maybe play again later or the next day. My first session with Detective Pikachu was a little over seven hours in length and it was mind-numbing. For those of you who are playing or have played the game, I'm curious if anyone else felt like chapter four was moving in slow motion... because it sure as hell was for me.

Video Review: Detective Pikachu screenshot

News:: ‘Fortnite’ is now available for all iOS users

If you've enviously watched friends playing Fortnite on their iPhones but couldn't snag an invite during its slow public rollout, fret no more: The mobile version of the battle royale game is finally available for each and every iOS user. Unfortunately, there's still no word on when it will be out for Android devices.

Source: Epic Games (Twitter)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/02/fortnite-is-now-available-for-all-ios-users/

News:: Fighting EX Layer confirms two new characters, will need big first month sales to justify more DLC

In the dead of night before April Fools was a thing, Arika debuted new footage of Fighting EX Layer to showcase two new additions to the project -- Sanane and Hayate. As CEO Akira Nishitani explains, this will make for 13 playable characters at launch, but he wants to do more as DLC.

So far he has four ideas that he wants to make it in, a list that includes Area, my favorite EX series character (Pullum, V. Rosso, Sharon, Area). Nishitani notes that if the game doesn't sell and they "don't reach [their] target in the first month after release," then they won't be coming at all. So yes, Arika's CEO did confirm DLC as a possibility, not a given. At the end of the clip he shows off the designs of the four characters, as well as joke art for SNK producer Yasuyuki Oda.

I'm jazzed to see how this one turns out, but I'm a little disheartened to see my main not in day one. Oh well!

Fighting EX Layer confirms two new characters, will need big first month sales to justify more DLC screenshot

News:: Viz Media brings us 30 years worth of Dragon Quest art this December

It looks like Dragon Quest XI isn't the only thing in the franchise we can look forward to owning later this year. During Anime Boston '18, Viz Media announced its plans to release Dragon Quest Illustrations: 30th Anniversary Edition in English. Judging by its title, it seems like the perfect art book for anyone who enjoys the series.

Considering this book contains around 500 illustrations by Akira Toriyama, we may be getting the best artwork from every game in the series. Even though his stuff suffers from having too many similar characters (such as Dragon Quest VIII's Angelo resembling Dragon Ball Z's Trunks), I've always enjoyed the whimsical feel his designs give off.

Despite my experience with Dragon Quest being VIII and the DS remake of IV, it's one of those series that I know I'll love as I journey through the rest of them. Overall, their traditional aspects and comedic nature rubbed me in the right ways, so I hope to catch up one day.

Dragon Quest Illustrations: 30th Anniversary Edition hits North America in December 2018, which sounds like a great thing for players who may finish Dragon Quest XI by then.

Viz Media [Twitter]

Viz Media brings us 30 years worth of Dragon Quest art this December screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/viz-media-brings-us-30-years-worth-of-dragon-quest-art-this-december-496837.phtml

News:: This player's slow motion boomerang catch in Zelda: Breath of the Wild is worth watching

I've been sharing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild clips for over a year now, and amazingly, the community still has some amazing moments left.

We've seen a bear light on fire and take down an entire community, plenty of Yiga Clan trolling, mods up the wazoo and droves of makeshift vehicles, and now we have this plainly badass moment.

Shared by Paradox_Guardian on Reddit, this video is based on their tireless efforts to stylishly catch a boomerang in slow motion. The payoff is well worth it, as they're able to take down a Blue Lynel in a movie-like fashion.

I swear, every time I see another clip I just want to pop my cart in!

This player's slow motion boomerang catch in Zelda: Breath of the Wild is worth watching screenshot

News:: Review: Penny-Punching Princess

You can always count on NIS to get weird.

That's why I immediately jumped at a game called Penny Punching Princess, which has key art that features the titular princess with a giant fist and a calculator in-hand. It's just as quirky as it looks, even if the premise doesn't lift it past its grinding reality.

Review: Penny-Punching Princess screenshot

News:: Did You Know Gaming's new video celebrates the Nintendo DS

The good folk at Did You Know Gaming have uploaded a new video, and it's taking another look at one of the most beloved video game consoles of all-time, the Nintendo DS.

Originally launched in 2004 as the successor to the popular Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo DS proceeded to dominate the market with an incredible library of games from a variety of genres. The console would ever bag that most desired of audiences, the "casual gamer" (I fucking hate that term) with an array of simple but addictive time-wasters.

The video features information of the console's design choices, as well as its struggles to combat the dreaded R4 Card, and its variety of code and alternate names. Makes for a fun watch during your mid-morning coffee. I particularly like the DSi utopia we could all have been living in at 07:51.

Did You Know Gaming's new video celebrates the Nintendo DS screenshot

News:: Here's a big gaming April Fools 2018 roundup

Another year, another set of April Fools, and this time it was over the weekend and on Easter Sunday. It kind of took the wind out of a lot of people's sails, but a lot of publishers managed to get something out anyway.

A few of those "somethings" were part of a tired joke though -- the whole "we're adding a battle royale" scene. It's the new "we're adding a MOBA element" from several years back. Time flies and pop-genres change!

Anyway here's the roundup:

Here's a big gaming April Fools 2018 roundup screenshot

News:: What's your favorite Spielberg film?

As expected Ready Player One delivered a strong box office over the weekend. We're not talking Marvel-strong, but strong none the less. The film brought in $41.2 million over the Easter weekend, and dominated internationally with a total of $128 million. Positive buzz and Spielberg's name in big letters obviously did the job here, and with kids on spring break (spring break, ya'll) it'll probably have long legs until Infinity War land and kicks off the summer movie season. Even if it doesn't it gave Spielberg his biggest box office in 10 years.

That positive buzz didn't really come from me, though. I had some pretty big issues with the movie, and I'd rank it on the low end of Spielberg's work. He made the best of what he got, but I don't really think he got all that much to work with. Which brings me to the question of the week: what's your favorite Spielberg film?

I'm a sucker for Indiana Jones: And the Last Crusade. It brings together Spielberg's amazing visual storytelling, one of cinemas best characters, and Sean Connery. What more could a guy ask for, really?

An interesting side note, and one more reason that Hollywood is working hard to please Chinese audiences, this is the third weekend in a row that a tent pole level film has opened bigger in China than in the U.S. ($61.7 million vs. $41.2 million).

What's your favorite Spielberg film? screenshot

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Monday, April 2, 2018