Baroque wilderness-builder Nightingale has not been doing brilliantly since Ed Thorn described the launch early access version as "a numbers grind disguised as a gaslamp survival game". We had moderately high hopes for it before the early access release - I personally enjoy the fairytale setting, with its pop-up Pucks and magic umbrellas, but I also think I've raised enough hovels on procedurally generated maps for one lifetime. Still, I'd quite like it to come good, if only so I can justify op-eds about Lewis Carroll, and I'm somewhat encouraged by what I've heard of the game's forthcoming Realms Rebuilt update.
Baroque wilderness-builder Nightingale has not been doing brilliantly since Ed Thorn described the launch early access version as "a numbers grind disguised as a gaslamp survival game". We had moderately high hopes for it before the early access release - I personally enjoy the fairytale setting, with its pop-up Pucks and magic umbrellas, but I also think I've raised enough hovels on procedurally generated maps for one lifetime. Still, I'd quite like it to come good, if only so I can justify op-eds about Lewis Carroll, and I'm somewhat encouraged by what I've heard of the game's forthcoming Realms Rebuilt update.
Marvel’s diabolical despot Doctor Doom has seized a foothold on the Battle Royale Island after obtaining the devastating power of Pandora’s Box. Whatever it takes, Doctor Doom and his army of loyal henchmen must be defeated! Join Marvel Heroes Gwenpool, the Wakandan royal Shuri, and War Machine to defend against Doctor Doom’s legions in Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5 Season 4: Absolute Doom available today!
Take on Doctor Doom’s domains, and the legions guarding them, in new POIs stationed around the map.
Castle Doom casts dark shadows over the island, with its forge burning hotter as Doctor Doom’s empowered armor inches closer to completion. Time is of the essence, Heroes.
Doctor Doom has summoned The Raft to the Island, in a bid to recruit like-minded allies amongst a prison of extraterrestrial threats and supervillains.
Doctor Doom governs over the Latverian village of Doomstadt from his castle on high, surveilling all within his dominion.
Doctor Doom’s henchmen have begun excavating the Island in search of artifacts. When downed, they can be persuaded to change their minds and fight alongside you. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Our heroes brought a whole lot of firepower to stop Doctor Doom’s assault.
Rain havoc from the palms of your hands with Doom’s Arcane Gauntlets, back and better than ever. A suitable counter is charging into battle with Captain America’s Shield, now unvaulted and updated with new capabilities.
Embrace the spray to make quick work of foes with the Dual Micro SMGs, which comes in a potent pink Mythic version after a rendezvous with Gwenpool. Two guns are definitely better than one.
Discover the latest in human-platform weapon systems. Unleash a hailstorm of bullets and rockets at your enemies with War Machine’s Arsenal, shoulder-mount War Machine’s Auto Turret for supporting fire, and turn the tide of battle from above with War Machine’s Hover Jets.
Your rivals best prepare for their… doom. Hit them with pinpoint precision by taking aim with the Monarch Pistol. Track down and eliminate the Doombot in the Castle Doom throne room to get your hands on the Mythic version. Be sure to also grab the Siphon Medallion, which grants health and Shield Siphon from eliminating opponents.
The Striker Burst Rifle returns in moddable form. Recapture the Raft prison and claim victory over the pristine Emma Frost to earn the Mythic version and her Reveal Medallion. This Medallion occasionally reveals the location of nearby enemies!
Also surgical when aiming down sight is the Sovereign Shotgun, a trusty boomstick for the mid-range fight. Defeating Mysterio in Doomstadt will reward you the Mythic version and his Stealth Medallion, which gives temporary invisibility while crouched.
Several weapons have been unvaulted for Absolute Doom. The Striker Burst Rifle, Shockwave Grenade, and more are at your disposal.
Earn XP across Fortnite Battle Royale, creator-made islands, LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival to unlock rewards in the Absolute Doom Battle Pass, available for 950 V-Bucks. You can earn up to 1,500 V-Bucks back by leveling it up, as well as some pretty super Outfits:
Doom’s Outfit will be earnable from Battle Pass Quests starting in September, where you can take up the mantle of the mad Doctor himself. The Absolute Doom Battle Pass will be available to progress in until November 1 at 11PM PT / November 2 @ 2 AM ET.
The 2023-24 season has wrapped up, and there are still quite a number of sci fi and fantasy television shows waiting to hear if they will stick around for another year. I expected more cancellations than usual this year, and we haven’t quite seen that yet, but that could change depending on how many of these shows end up getting sent to the Network Executioner. So far, 21 genre entries were cancelled or ended in this past season (27% of shows tracked) while 34 have been renewed so far (44%). You can see the full rundown of shows with all of their statuses at our Cancellation Watch Page, and below I look at the ones that have not received either a cancellation or renewal announcement yet.
The shows that I have flagged as On the Bubble can certainly use a Call to Action from fans on the social networks. And pretty much every show that has not been renewed yet could benefit from any form of fan support. We have seen genre entries like The Expanse, Lucifer, and Manifest saved by fan campaigns in the past, and perhaps one of the shows below could be the next to get an extended lease on life. Be sure to follow this site and our Twitter and Mastodon accounts for updates and breaking news on these shows as well as the genre entries for the 2024-25 season.
See all the upcoming sci fi and fantasy TV premieres at this link and keep up with the weekly schedule at this link.
The Acolyte (Disney+, Renewal Possible): This live-action Star Wars entry is not quite a Bubble show yet, but pretty close. Showrunner Leslye Headland has plans for more seasons of this show, but there have been rumors that Disney+ is not planning on continuing it beyond its first year, largely because it is so expensive to produce. It did make an appearance in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings, though, so maybe that will help its chances.
The Ark (Syfy, Renewal Possible): The second season of this space opera has just started, and Nielsen ratings data for the cable channels is sparse these days, so it is hard to make a call on this one at this point. Syfy has been bad about promoting its originals, and reviews have been mixed on the show, so I would not count it as a strong genre entry at this point. But perhaps it will do well enough to journey into a third season.
Ark: The Animated Series (Paramount+, On the Bubble): This animated entry released the first six episodes of its first season with no advance notice in March 2024, with the remaining seven set to be released later in the year. It was originally supposed to premiere in 2023, but the show got shuffled around and Paramount+ does not appear to be giving it much promotion. This is a co-licensed production with Studio Wildcard and Tiger Animation, and it may end up getting only the one season from the streaming service, though it could get shopped around to other venues.
Beacon 23 (MGM+, On the Bubble): This show had originally been a joint production by AMC and Spectrum and had been picked up for two seasons according to an interview with executive producer Glen Mazzara. It shifted over to MGM+ when AMC and Spectrum backed out, and there are plans for additional seasons. It is unclear if that network has an interest in keeping the show going, though, or if they just picked it up for a burn-off run.
Cult-SciFi.com: Looking Back at Cult Movies, TV Shows, Books, and More from the Worlds of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror
The Changeling (Apple TV+, On the Bubble): This horror series did not develop too much buzz in its first season, but its creative team has a two-season plan in place that will wrap up all of its storylines. Showrunner Kelly Marcel says that “season one was a setup of a lot of questions, and season two is the answer to all of those questions”. However, there has been no word on that second season yet, and with Apple TV+ looking to cut back on spending for its original content, this show’s fate could be very much in doubt.
Chucky (Syfy/USA, Renewal Possible): There has been no word on a fourth season of this horror/comedy yet, but creator Don Mancini has already made a pitch to Syfy for where the show can go next. In addition, fans have an opportunity to support the show by calling 1-201-500-3347 to demand more adventures from Chucky. Its linear viewing numbers dropped off in its third year, but perhaps this one could stick around for another season (maybe becoming a USA exclusive like Resident Alien) if the fans lobby for it.
Creepshow (Shudder, Renewal Possible): This horror anthology has proven quite popular for the Shudder streaming service, setting viewership records and also receiving good buzz from critics and fans (plus, it has done well in its encore runs on AMC). There has been no word on a fifth season yet, but I am guessing that this one is not done yet.
Dark Matter (Apple TV+, Renewal Possible): This sci fi entry has not made it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings so far, though it currently has mostly positive feedback, holding an 81% Fresh Rating and 82% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. Series creator Blake Crouch has indicated that he has ideas for a second season in an AMA he did on Reddit, though he has also suggested that the first season told the full story that he had planned. With Apple TV+ looking to cut back on spending for its original content, it is unclear where this one stands, but it could stick around for another season.
For status updates on the current sci fi and fantasy shows along with breaking news on cancellations and renewals, follow our Cancellation Watch posts.
Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix, Renewal Possible): This series spent three weeks in the Netflix Top 10 and two weeks in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings, though that may not be enough to satisfy the completion rate that Netflix execs are looking for. It is tied to the same universe as The Sandman, and perhaps that connection will keep it going, but the streamer is known for cutting bait on shows it does not believe are performing up to its viewing standards.
Hit Monkey (Hulu, On the Bubble): This animated entry is the last surviving show from the Marvel Television days before Marvel Studios took over production on all of the TV entries. It did not make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings in its second season and it has received very little buzz so far. There are plans for a third season, but my confidence is not high that it will go forward.
Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC, Renewal Possible): This Orphan Black spin-off has not drawn much of an audience so far based on the linear ratings and it has received mixed reviews. But AMC continues to advertise it pretty strongly, so perhaps they want to keep this franchise going. It may be performing better in digital viewing (I have not seen any numbers for that), and that may help get it to a second season.
Pluto (Netflix, On the Bubble): This animated series did not place in the Netflix Top 10 during its first-season run, and it adapted the full Manga across its eight episodes. If there is no word on it over the next month or so, I will consider it ended.
Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale (AMC+, Renewal Possible): This supernatural drama arrived without much advance notice, though it did get a fair amount of promotion from AMC once it started streaming. No viewership numbers are available, and it did not develop much buzz during its first season run. But it is likely not too expensive to produce and there is still a chance that it could return for a second season.
For the weekly schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows along with news and the latest trailers, follow our Sci Fi TV Highlights posts.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix, On the Bubble): This animated continuation of the feature film made it into the Netflix Top 10 the week after its premiere, but according to creators Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski, they consider the first season to be one-and-done and currently have no ideas for a second year of the show. They have not completely ruled out a continuation, but if there is no word on it in the next month or so I will consider it ended.
Strange Planet (Apple TV+, On the Bubble): This animated series based on the webcomic of the same name came and went with very little fanfare and did not make any noise in the streaming charts. It has been a year since it premiered with no word on its fate, so likely this is one-and-done, especially considering that Apple TV+ is cutting back on spending for its original content.
Sugar (Apple TV+, Renewal Possible): This mystery series with sci fi elements developed some good buzz during its first season run, and from what I understand it performed well compared to other originals on Apple TV+. There has been no word on a second season yet, and Apple TV+ is cutting back on spending for its original content, but perhaps it could stick around for another year.
Sunny (Apple TV+, Renewal Possible): This sci fi dramedy arrived with very little fanfare and has not developed much buzz so far. It is still releasing episodes from its first season, and Apple TV+ may not have made a decision about its fate yet. But that streamer is cutting back on spending for its original content, so it is unclear whether a second season is a possibility for this show.
Keep up with sci fi TV news, updates, trailers and discussions at r/SciFiTV.
The Swarm (CW, Renewal Possible): This German-made series is an acquisition by The CW and its viewership in the U.S. will likely have little impact on whether it gets renewed. It is an expensive show to produce, but it did perform well in its home country during its first season run and a second season is possible. But if there is no word on that in the next month or so, I will consider it ended.
Them (Prime Video, Renewal Possible): The second season of this show made a brief appearance in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings and showrunner Little Marvin has indicated that he has plans for a third season. There has been no word on that yet, but this one could stick around for another year or so.
Time Bandits (Apple TV+, Renewal Possible): This reboot of the 1981 Terry Gilliam film is another new entry from Apple TV+ that did not receive much promotion before its premiere. The early reviews have been mixed on this one and no viewership numbers are available, so it is hard to make a call at this point. Apple TV+ is cutting back on spending for its original content, and this looks like a costly production, so if the viewership is not there it could end up as another one-and-done genre entry from that service.
Velma (Max, On the Bubble): People were surprised that this show received a second season after the first was pretty widely panned, but apparently that had been planned in advance. It did not make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings across its two seasons, and it currently holds only 38% on the Tomatometer scale and a 10% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. A third season seems unlikely at this point, especially as Max is cutting back on its original content.
Wolf Like Me (Peacock, Renewal Possible): This Australian-made supernatural dramedy has received very little attention for its run in the States on Peacock. But it is relatively inexpensive to produce and could stick around for another season or so, especially since it has an international partnership propping it up.
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
The post Bubble Sci Fi TV: A Look at the Shows from the 2023-24 Season Still Awaiting Word on Their Fates appeared first on Cancelled Sci Fi.
Title: The Walking Dead
Type of Game: Narrative Adventure
Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Released: April 24, 2012
Platforms Available: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC Game, Xbox (360, One)
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Level of Maturity: Mature (M)
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Combining an interactive movie and an adventure game is not a new idea, but it wasn’t until Telltale Games perfected the concept. The Walking Dead is an immersive experience that takes storytelling to a new level. Unless you don’t mind completely sacrificing your gaming freedom… The protagonist is Lee, a former university professor at the time convicted of murder. At the start of the game, he’s just being escorted to prison, but the arrival of zombies ensures he can start living again, regardless of his past. It doesn’t take long before he meets seven-year-old Clementine, whom he pledges to protect and help find her parents.
The Walking Dead arguably has one of the best scripts in the narrative video game genre, and it still manages to make the most out of such a familiar and much-used setting, which zombies are without question these days. The story is inspired by Robert Kirkman’s comic novels and the HBO series of the same name. Really just inspired, the game tells a completely separate story, and the only connection to the books is a couple of side characters that only make a brief appearance a few times in the game. So you don’t have to worry about being limited by your ignorance of the source material. I got the comic myself after finishing the game. Unlike other zombie-themed games, The Walking Dead doesn’t just focus on fighting the undead brain-eaters, but on long-term survival.
The main characters are ordinary people who are put in extreme situations that they have to deal with, the zombies themselves are actually the second in line. Throughout your journey, you meet a lot of different people that you have to take an attitude towards. In the harsh environment of a destroyed world, no one can last long on their own, and so a disparate group of individuals gradually builds up around Lee, who have only the desire to survive in common. Everyone is pursuing their own interests and getting along well with everyone is simply not possible. It’s up to you what approach you take to them.
Example: a starving group stumbles upon several cans of food that are by no means enough for everyone. Do you feed the women and children, or the adult men who protect them? You also don’t have to tell anyone about the find and keep everything to yourself. Or you divide everything equally so that no one is fed at all but is fair. You’ll face many similar dilemmas as you play, but often much more serious and under time pressure. The game doesn’t offer clearly good and bad options, you have to decide everything according to your own conscience, and thanks to the automatic saving you can’t change your mind. Even though the game is tightly scripted from the start and there are only two endings, but there are different ways to get there.
None of this would work without the perfect fleshing out of all the characters, which is crucial in the gaming world and especially in the story-driven games genre. Some individuals you will hate, others you will love, but none will be indifferent. The highlight then is the gradually deepening relationship between Lee and little Clementine. It has to be said that the writers definitely do not spare their heroes and are not afraid to kill them.
Despite my enthusiasm, I have to admit that The Walking Dead is not for everyone. The story and the cinematic experience are subordinate to everything else, there’s not much left to the actual acting. Of course, dialogue plays a major role in the adventure part, where unlike in regular adventure games, what you say really matters. Logic problem-solving is then limited to using a few objects in the right places, which definitely won’t blow your mind. Besides, just in tense moments, you’re pressing the right buttons according to how they appear on the screen. Getting to the end is no problem even for absolute non-players. But the story has a good flow and there are no blind spots.
Each of the five episodes lasts roughly three hours, which adds up to 15 hours of intense entertainment. And that’s absolutely ideal these days of an enormous number of open worlds with hundreds of hours of genetic content, given the lower price of the game in both digital distribution and boxed versions.
The technical workmanship surprises. The creators have resorted to the now very popular Cell-Shaded comic book graphics, which are at odds with the brutality and seriousness of the content depicted. However, the result is so distinctive and hilarious that one quickly gets used to it. The professional dubbing and music then just perfectly round off the unforgettable atmosphere.
Describing The Walking Dead further without giving away the story is no longer possible. More than a video game, this is a perfect experience. Finding mistakes is pointless: once the story draws you in, you’ll still wave your hand over any bugs or minor illogic. The Walking Dead is fundamentally flawless, and for me personally, one of the best games of its time and genre.
Steam (PC, Mac, Linux): Available for $14.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.
Xbox Store (Xbox One): Available for $14.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.
PlayStation Store (PS4): Available for $14.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.
Nintendo Shop (Switch): Available for $14.99. Purchase it from the Nintendo Shop.
Epic Games Store (PC): Available for $14.99. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.
Official Page: Visit the official TelTail page for more information.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the The Walking Dead Subreddit.
The post The Walking Dead Season One: Telltale’s First Episodic Masterpiece appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.
Marvel’s diabolical despot Doctor Doom has seized a foothold on the Battle Royale Island after obtaining the devastating power of Pandora’s Box. Whatever it takes, Doctor Doom and his army of loyal henchmen must be defeated! Join Marvel Heroes Gwenpool, the Wakandan royal Shuri, and War Machine to defend against Doctor Doom’s legions in Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5 Season 4: Absolute Doom available today!
Take on Doctor Doom’s domains, and the legions guarding them, in new POIs stationed around the map.
Castle Doom casts dark shadows over the island, with its forge burning hotter as Doctor Doom’s empowered armor inches closer to completion. Time is of the essence, Heroes.
Doctor Doom has summoned The Raft to the Island, in a bid to recruit like-minded allies amongst a prison of extraterrestrial threats and supervillains.
Doctor Doom governs over the Latverian village of Doomstadt from his castle on high, surveilling all within his dominion.
Doctor Doom’s henchmen have begun excavating the Island in search of artifacts. When downed, they can be persuaded to change their minds and fight alongside you. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Our heroes brought a whole lot of firepower to stop Doctor Doom’s assault.
Rain havoc from the palms of your hands with Doom’s Arcane Gauntlets, back and better than ever. A suitable counter is charging into battle with Captain America’s Shield, now unvaulted and updated with new capabilities.
Embrace the spray to make quick work of foes with the Dual Micro SMGs, which comes in a potent pink Mythic version after a rendezvous with Gwenpool. Two guns are definitely better than one.
Discover the latest in human-platform weapon systems. Unleash a hailstorm of bullets and rockets at your enemies with War Machine’s Arsenal, shoulder-mount War Machine’s Auto Turret for supporting fire, and turn the tide of battle from above with War Machine’s Hover Jets.
Your rivals best prepare for their… doom. Hit them with pinpoint precision by taking aim with the Monarch Pistol. Track down and eliminate the Doombot in the Castle Doom throne room to get your hands on the Mythic version. Be sure to also grab the Siphon Medallion, which grants health and Shield Siphon from eliminating opponents.
The Striker Burst Rifle returns in moddable form. Recapture the Raft prison and claim victory over the pristine Emma Frost to earn the Mythic version and her Reveal Medallion. This Medallion occasionally reveals the location of nearby enemies!
Also surgical when aiming down sight is the Sovereign Shotgun, a trusty boomstick for the mid-range fight. Defeating Mysterio in Doomstadt will reward you the Mythic version and his Stealth Medallion, which gives temporary invisibility while crouched.
Several weapons have been unvaulted for Absolute Doom. The Striker Burst Rifle, Shockwave Grenade, and more are at your disposal.
Earn XP across Fortnite Battle Royale, creator-made islands, LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival to unlock rewards in the Absolute Doom Battle Pass, available for 950 V-Bucks. You can earn up to 1,500 V-Bucks back by leveling it up, as well as some pretty super Outfits:
Doom’s Outfit will be earnable from Battle Pass Quests starting in September, where you can take up the mantle of the mad Doctor himself. The Absolute Doom Battle Pass will be available to progress in until November 1 at 11PM PT / November 2 @ 2 AM ET.
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Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.
At long last, the alien invasion is finally over! That being said though, Fortnite’s island is full of…cubes? We always get a certain theme when it comes to starting with a new season, and this time, when Season 8 launched, it was simply called “Cubed”.
While we won’t get into the nitty-gritty of how the story is going so far because of its intricacy, the basic premise is that the cubes that were used to power the alien mothership that used to abduct players has now been set free, resulting in the cubes wreaking havoc on the island.
Besides that though, players can expect a combination of new weapons, locations, characters, and skins in the Fortnite Item Shop. Heck, there are even portals that transport players into a monster-filled realm. So just what can we expect in Season 2: Chapter 8 of Fortnite? Let’s find out.
When talking about the Battle Pass in Fortnite, it’s pretty much the same thing every time. Veterans will be happy to know that the Season 8 Battle Pass will come at a familiar price point of 950 V-Bucks or approximately $10 for those that want to unlock all of the premium goodies. The free Battle Pass is available for everyone, but they won’t be able to get the more wanted items such as skins that aren’t available in the Fortnite Item Shop.
For those that want to skip the grind, they have the option to avail the premium track of the Battle Pass which costs 2,800 V-Bucks or approximately $25. This lets players skip 25 tiers in an instant, thereby granting them the ability to start their grind to tier 100 a quarter of the way through already.
The Season 8 Battle Pass will be coming with all sorts of unique items that players can collect. From villainous skins such as Carnage down to ultra-vibrant unicorns, there’s a lot to cover in terms of variety. Marvel characters have always popped in and out of Fortnite, so it’s no surprise to have Carnage in for the ride. There are also the likes of characters that are unique to the storyline in Fortnite such as Charlotte and Fabio Sparklemane. Exclusive content is given in abundance to Fortnite players this time for those that get the premium Battle Pass, and the best part of all this is that they can earn free V-Bucks along the way that’s enough to purchase the next season’s Battle Pass.
It’s like a neverending cycle of getting free Battle Passes after every season!
Perhaps the biggest change that’s coming to Season 8 is that there’s a new element coming called “The Sideways”. Described as a “monster-filled reality” that’s “dark” and “malevolent”, it’s what’s being spread by the cubes that are now creating chaos within Fortnite’s island. Players will be able to access them by entering through portals. With the addition of monster NPCs called Cube Monsters, features will include low gravity and the inability to build anything. This will certainly impact the different island locations.
At the very least, there’s still some fun to be had with “The Sideways” in the form of new weapons. Players can craft and create superpowered “sideways” weapons in Season 8 by accumulating a new crafting component from those areas. These new materials are called Cube Monster Parts. Oh, and don’t forget, classic guns such as the harpoon gun and automatic sniper rifle will be making a comeback.
With the fate of the island up to the players, it’s your job to protect it. Since Season 8 is all about an all-out war against the Cubes, support from far and wide is needed if players want to secure a future for their beloved island. Since there will be fellow Loopers (players that go in and out of the portals) across the island, you have the option to donate the Bars that you earn to certain construction sites where Turret Stations will be built.
It’s certainly a bizarre time for Fortnite players this time around. With Chapter 2: Season 8 all about fighting back against the Cubes, one would think that the alien invasion that we had in the last season was so much better. Sure they abducted players into their mothership, but they at least gave them enhancements that ultimately buffed them.
But hey, at least there are some cool exclusive skins in the Battle Pass that aren’t available in the Fortnite Item Shop!
What do you think of Chapter 2: Season 8 of Fortnite so far? Let us know down below.
The world of gaming has extended its tendrils to smartphones. Where we once had games like the infamous Snake on classic Nokia headsets, we now have titles like Batman and Need for Speed either porting console quality games to phones or exclusively developing games that cater to phones. The point is that mobile phone gaming ... Read more
The post Best Multiplayer Games for Android appeared first on Gamer For Fun.
Look at this guide for he the release dates of every major upcoming game title for 2024.
Among the exciting titles on the horizon, Nintendo is set to introduce a new Princess Peach game, while Ubisoft is developing a 2D Prince of Persia title, reminiscent of Metroid Dread in its style and gameplay. Fans of the Final Fantasy series can look forward to the next installment of the Final Fantasy 7 remake. Additionally, the Star Wars franchise is poised to add another significant title to its gaming legacy. These announcements are just a glimpse of what’s to come, with more 2024 video game release dates expected to be revealed in upcoming events such as The Game Awards, the next Nintendo Direct, and various other online presentations.
Games For January 2024
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (PS, Xbox, Switch, PC) – January 18
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered (PS5) – January 19
Palworld (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) – January 19
Another Code Recollection (Switch) – January 19
Immortality (PS5) – January 23
Enshrouded (PC) – January 23
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Switch, PC, Xbox One, PS4) – January 25
Tekken 8 (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – January 26
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PC, Xbox, PS) – January 26
Silent Hill: The Short Message (PS5) – January 31
Games in February 2024
Granblue Fantasy: Relink (PC, PS4/5) – February 1
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PS5, XSX/S, PC) – February 2
Persona 3 Reload (PC, PS4/5, Xbox One, XSX/S) – February 2
Foamstars (PS4, PS5) – February 6
Helldivers 2 (PC, PS5) – February 8
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – February 13
Tomb Raider Remastered (Switch, PC, PS, Xbox) – February 14
Skull and Bones (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – February 16
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch) – February 16
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters (PC, PS4/5, XSX/S, Xbox One) – February 20
Nightingale (PC) – February 20
The Thaumaturge (PC) – February 20
Last Epoch (PC) – February 21
Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story (PC, Switch) – February 21
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – February 28
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PS5) – February 29
Games in March 2024
Life by You (PC Early Access) – March 5
WWE 2K24 (PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, XSX/S) – March 8 (March 5 for Deluxe)
Unicorn Overlord (Switch) – March 8
Alone in the Dark (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – March 20
Horizon Forbidden West (PC) – March 21
Princess Peach: Showtime (Switch) – March 22
Dragon’s Dogma 2 (PS5, PC, XSX/S) – March 22
Rise of the Ronin (PS5) – March 22
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4) – March 22
South Park: Snow Day! (PC, PS5, XSX/S, Switch) – March 26
Prison Architect 2 (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – March 26
Games in April 2024
Dave the Diver (PS4/5) – April
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PC, PS4/5, Switch, Xbox One, XSX/S) – April 23
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU (PC, PS5, XSX/S, Switch) – April 23
Megaton Musashi: Wired (PC, Switch, PS4, PS5) – April 25
Sand Land (PC, PS4, PS5, XSX/S) – April 26
Stellar Blade (PS5) – April 26
Braid: Anniversary Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, XSX/S) – April 30
Games in May 2024
Homeworld 3 (PC) – May 13
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (PC, XSX/S) – May 21
Games in June 2024
Destiny 2: The Final Shape (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, XSX/S) – June 4
Games in July 2024
TBD
Games in August 2024
Black Myth: Wukong (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – August 20
Games in September 2024
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (PC, XSX/S) – September 5
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – September 9
Games in September 2024
TBD
Games in October 2024
TBD
Games in November 2024
TBD
Games in December 2024
More coming soon!
Games Pending Release Dates!
Here are a few of the most anticiapted games which have yet to get release dates.
Ara: History Untold (PC) – Fall
Ark 2 (PC, XSX/S)
Avowed (PC, XSX/S) Fall
Baby Steps (PC, PS5)
Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition
Blue Protocol (PS5, XSX/S, PC)
Concord (PS5, PC)
Contra: Operation Galuga (Switch)
Deca Police (Switch)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (PS5, XSX/S)
Dustborn (PC, PS4/5, Xbox One, XSX/S)
Earth Defense Force 6 (PC, PS4/5)
EA Sports FC Tactical (Mobile)
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game (PC, PS4/5, Xbox One, XSX/S, Switch)
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Switch)
Frostpunk 2 (PC, PS5, XSX/S)
Greedfall 2 (PC, PS, Xbox)
Hades 2 early access (PC)
Hyper Light Breaker (PC)
Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road (Mobile, PS4, PS5, Switch)
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PC, XSX/S)
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando (PC, PS5, XSX/S)
Killing Floor 3 (PC, PS5, XSX/S)
Lightyear Frontier (PC, Xbox)
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PC, Xbox, PS)
Little Nightmares 3 (PC, PS, Xbox)
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP
Lost Records: Bloom and Rage (PC, PS5, XSX/S)
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (Switch)
Metaphor Re Fantazio (PC, PS, XSX/S)
Metro Awakening (PSVR 2, Quest 2/3, Steam VR)
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (PC, Xbox)
MultiVersus (PC, PS, Xbox)
Neva (PC, PS5, XSX/S, Switch)
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remaster (Switch)
Penny’s Big Breakaway (PS5, XSX/S, Switch, PC)
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland (PC, Consoles)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (PC, XSX/S)
Saga Emerald Beyond (Switch)
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution (Switch)
Sonic x Shadow Generations (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, XSX/S) – Fall
South Park: Snow Day (PC, PS5, XSX/S)
Splatoon 3: Side Order (Switch)
Star Wars Outlaws (PC, PS5, XSX/S)
Star Wars Hunters (Mobile, Switch)
Subnautica 2 (PC, PS5, XSX/S)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem game (PC, Consoles)
Thank Goodness You’re Here! (PS5, PC, Switch)
The Casting of Frank Stone (PC, PS5, XSX/S)
The First Descendant (PC, PS4/5, Xbox One, XSX/S)
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (XSX/S)
The Plucky Squire (PC, PS5, Switch, XSX/S)
The Wolf Among Us 2 (PC, PS, Xbox)
Thrasher (VR)
Until Dawn (PC, PS5)
Windblown (PC Early Access)
World of Goo 2
Visions of Mana (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – Summer
V Rising (PS5)
Zenless Zone Zero (PC, PS5, Mobile)
My.Games has confirmed it's selling off its non-game development and publishing businesses, including DonationAlerts and Boosty.
The European gaming developer and publisher says it recently reached a binding term sheet to sell its CEBC subsidiary to Broadsmart Group founder, Pavel Kharaneka. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.
Whilst the terms of the sale have not been made public, My.Games says the sale "enables [it] to fully focus on its top priority business: game development and publishing."
In two weeks, you’ll be able to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse on your Xbox for the very first time. The final season of Telltale’s episodic Sam & Max trilogy was never ported to Xbox when it first came out in 2010, leaving fans of this comedy adventure series hanging for all these years.
For the uninitiated, Sam & Max are the Freelance Police, a pair of dog and rabbity-thing detectives whose esoteric wit and unconventional crime-fighting techniques have amused and baffled the unwashed masses for the past 37 years. Their credits include indie comics, a Saturday morning cartoon, and, of course, video games.
LucasArts was the first studio to make Sam & Max games, and I was working there as a producer when Sam & Max: Freelance Police was cancelled in 2004. If you were an adventure game fan at the time, you probably remember the uproar—the game was almost finished, previews were glowing, and 32,000 pissed off fans signed an online petition to try to reverse the decision.
The petition didn’t work, but it inspired me and several other Freelance Police team members to start a new studio, Telltale Games. After LucasArts’ rights to make a game about the dog and rabbity-thing crime fighters expired, we teamed up with the series creator, Steve Purcell, to make our own episodic Sam & Max games.
One reason for Freelance Police’s cancellation was that it was a PC game, and all the best-sellers at the time were for consoles. Telltale also started out as a PC developer (it was still the biggest platform for adventure games, our favorite genre), but as the studio grew, we also branched out to consoles. In 2009 we ported the first two Sam & Max seasons, Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space, to Xbox 360.
Telltale went on to make one more Sam & Max season, subtitled The Devil’s Playhouse, which came out episodically from April to August 2010—but this one never made it to Xbox. At that point in the studio’s history (before we really hit it big with The Walking Dead), we had our hands full as we refined our vision for interactive storytelling and took on new licenses. We couldn’t support more than one or two platforms at a time back then, and though we always intended to port The Devil’s Playhouse to Xbox, it just never happened… until now!
In a sad twist of fate, Telltale ran into financial trouble in 2018 and the studio shut down. I was no longer working there, but I saw an opportunity to go back to this series that had been so central to my career. (Even before I worked on Sam & Max: Freelance Police, one of my very first games as a QA lead was LucasArts’ 1994 adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road.) I called up some of the same friends who were there at the beginning of Telltale and we bought the rights to the episodic Sam & Max trilogy.
Since then, we’ve been remastering these games—a real labor of love to get them looking as good and playing as well as we always wanted but didn’t have the resources or expertise to achieve at the time. If you’ve played our Sam & Max Save the World or Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space remasters, you know what a vast improvement they are over the originals, with added widescreen and gamepad support, higher quality visuals and audio, 4K graphics and HDR support on Xbox One X and newer, and lots more additions and refinements.
The remastered version of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse will close out the trilogy on August 14, and you can preorder it today with a 10% discount. Compared to the first two seasons (which were some of Telltale’s earliest games), The Devil’s Playhouse was made by a larger team that had hit its stride. It’s definitely the weirdest and most ambitious of the three games, and we’re always hearing from fans that it’s their favorite.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the basic storyline is that Max (the rabbity-thing) stumbles upon a magic toy that gives him random glimpses of the future. His newfound psychic powers attract the attention of an alien warlord named General Skun-ka’pe, who wants the Toys of Power for his own not-so-altruistic purposes… and things quickly spiral out of control.
Across five episodes (released all at once, Netflix-style), you’ll get to mess around with Max’s psychic powers, play as Sam & Max’s great-grandfathers, plunder an Egyptian tomb, confront Lovecraftian monsters, and fend off an army of Sam clones wearing sparkly gold underwear.
If you need to get caught up before playing this final entry in the Sam & Max trilogy, the first two remasters are 40% off on Xbox through August 12 (our deepest discount to date).
And on August 14, we invite you to take your seats, turn off your cell phones, and prepare yourselves for an epic comedy saga. The lights have dimmed, the curtains are opened… the show’s about to begin in Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse!
The post Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Makes its Xbox Debut August 14 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Season 22 of Apex Legends is almost here, and promises a ‘shocking’ shake-up to the high-octane battle royale. Numerous tweaks to gameplay are coming across all modes, and updates to playable Legends and more await on the horizon. But first, let’s get a look at the sixth map coming to Apex Legends in Shockwave: E-District.
During a recent Shockwave preview event, Apex Legends World Director Ed Agostini described E-District as an “urban playground that’s a culmination of five years of learning,” and shared that it’s the most densely populated map to date. The design of E-District places emphasis on freedom of movement, packed with multi-layered architecture, and the introduction of new Gravity Cannons, which can launch Legends high up into the air or across large distances.
Lots of points of interest are designed with close quarters combat in mind, including the tight, winding alleys of Street Market, the ultra-vibrant Neon Square, inspired by Shibuya Center in Tokyo, and the Neon Oval Raceway, an old racetrack converted into makeshift residential spots perfect for chaotic indoor shootouts. The entire map is coated in gorgeous post-Cyberpunk inspiration, and it’ll be in heavy rotation for the first split of the season so players can explore it fully.
Josh Mohan, Associate Design Director on Apex Legends, shares Respawn has also been assessing changes that will benefit newcomers and more casual players to foster an environment where everyone can learn and have fun regardless of their skill level. One major change promising to change-up the meta is the Revival feature, which provides another way for defeated players to get back into the match with ease.
When a player is eliminated, a respawn timer will kick in, and when the timer hits zero, that teammate will automatically respawn near their surviving teammates without the need for a Respawn Beacon. Surviving squad mates can even speed up the return of their fallen Legends by getting knocks and kills for an even faster return to the fray.
Mohan shares that the addition of Revival is to “shake-up the core combat loop of Apex,” and create more opportunities for players to get into and stay in the action. It also encourages more players to take risks which results in more fun, dynamic situations during matches.
One other change will see the Battle Sense feature, initially created to help players navigate the battlefield in solo mode, roll into the team-based battle royale mode in Shockwave. The benefits of this mode include visibility of enemy health bars, as well as highlighted attackers at close range.
Bin Day
Shockwave will also introduce new ways for Legends to gather up loot during a match. Mid-way through a game, all open loot bins on the map will close back up and reroll fresh loot for passing players. This not only provides new opportunities to stock up or change items, but also takes away environmental clues that a team has looted the area before you, which is interesting.
Two brand new bins will also offer opportunities for Legends to grab those high-end loadouts and attachments. A few gold bins, containing better loot and items (including gold attachments) will randomly appear in the place of regular bins, while one mythic bin somewhere on the map is guaranteed to contain Evo for your shield, a gold weapon, or a mythic weapon found in care package drops. Be mindful though, every team can see the location of the mythic bin, which is sure to cause some squabbles over the coveted items inside.
If like me you’re into dual-wielding, you’re going to feel right at home with Shockwave’s new Akimbo update, which allows Legends to carry and fire two P2020 pistols or Mozambique shotguns in combat.
However, wielding two guns won’t mean endless looting to kit them out – the second gun is essentially a mirror of the one in your equipment, including all of its attachments. While in Akimbo, both guns are also fully automatic with improved hip fire for ease in those scrappy close-up fights.
Light Machine Guns are also receiving a little love this season with the Gun Shield Generator hop-up, which gives you a small shield in your sights. It won’t save you from those aggressive flanks, but will absorb precious damage if you’re being attacked head-on.
Of course, every season comes equipped with a new Battle Pass full of treats – new Legendary skins for Legends and weapons, as well as Exotic Shards, but Shockwave is making it a little more attainable for players. Battle Passes are now shorter, and you’ll get two throughout Shockwave’s duration – one at the start of the season on August 6 and another at the seasonal split. You’ll also be able to unlock the premium Battle Pass for free, just by completing in-game challenges – so save up those Apex Coins!
All of this and more is heading to Apex Legends: Shockwave, launching on August 6. Hop in for free on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. For more updates on Shockwave’s new content, head to the official Apex Legends website.
The post Apex Legends: Shockwave Arrives August 6 – With New Map E-District, Automatic Respawns, Loot Refreshes and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.
This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.
In two weeks, you’ll be able to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse on your Xbox for the very first time. The final season of Telltale’s episodic Sam & Max trilogy was never ported to Xbox when it first came out in 2010, leaving fans of this comedy adventure series hanging for all these years.
For the uninitiated, Sam & Max are the Freelance Police, a pair of dog and rabbity-thing detectives whose esoteric wit and unconventional crime-fighting techniques have amused and baffled the unwashed masses for the past 37 years. Their credits include indie comics, a Saturday morning cartoon, and, of course, video games.
LucasArts was the first studio to make Sam & Max games, and I was working there as a producer when Sam & Max: Freelance Police was cancelled in 2004. If you were an adventure game fan at the time, you probably remember the uproar—the game was almost finished, previews were glowing, and 32,000 pissed off fans signed an online petition to try to reverse the decision.
The petition didn’t work, but it inspired me and several other Freelance Police team members to start a new studio, Telltale Games. After LucasArts’ rights to make a game about the dog and rabbity-thing crime fighters expired, we teamed up with the series creator, Steve Purcell, to make our own episodic Sam & Max games.
One reason for Freelance Police’s cancellation was that it was a PC game, and all the best-sellers at the time were for consoles. Telltale also started out as a PC developer (it was still the biggest platform for adventure games, our favorite genre), but as the studio grew, we also branched out to consoles. In 2009 we ported the first two Sam & Max seasons, Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space, to Xbox 360.
Telltale went on to make one more Sam & Max season, subtitled The Devil’s Playhouse, which came out episodically from April to August 2010—but this one never made it to Xbox. At that point in the studio’s history (before we really hit it big with The Walking Dead), we had our hands full as we refined our vision for interactive storytelling and took on new licenses. We couldn’t support more than one or two platforms at a time back then, and though we always intended to port The Devil’s Playhouse to Xbox, it just never happened… until now!
In a sad twist of fate, Telltale ran into financial trouble in 2018 and the studio shut down. I was no longer working there, but I saw an opportunity to go back to this series that had been so central to my career. (Even before I worked on Sam & Max: Freelance Police, one of my very first games as a QA lead was LucasArts’ 1994 adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road.) I called up some of the same friends who were there at the beginning of Telltale and we bought the rights to the episodic Sam & Max trilogy.
Since then, we’ve been remastering these games—a real labor of love to get them looking as good and playing as well as we always wanted but didn’t have the resources or expertise to achieve at the time. If you’ve played our Sam & Max Save the World or Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space remasters, you know what a vast improvement they are over the originals, with added widescreen and gamepad support, higher quality visuals and audio, 4K graphics and HDR support on Xbox One X and newer, and lots more additions and refinements.
The remastered version of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse will close out the trilogy on August 14, and you can preorder it today with a 10% discount. Compared to the first two seasons (which were some of Telltale’s earliest games), The Devil’s Playhouse was made by a larger team that had hit its stride. It’s definitely the weirdest and most ambitious of the three games, and we’re always hearing from fans that it’s their favorite.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the basic storyline is that Max (the rabbity-thing) stumbles upon a magic toy that gives him random glimpses of the future. His newfound psychic powers attract the attention of an alien warlord named General Skun-ka’pe, who wants the Toys of Power for his own not-so-altruistic purposes… and things quickly spiral out of control.
Across five episodes (released all at once, Netflix-style), you’ll get to mess around with Max’s psychic powers, play as Sam & Max’s great-grandfathers, plunder an Egyptian tomb, confront Lovecraftian monsters, and fend off an army of Sam clones wearing sparkly gold underwear.
If you need to get caught up before playing this final entry in the Sam & Max trilogy, the first two remasters are 40% off on Xbox through August 12 (our deepest discount to date).
And on August 14, we invite you to take your seats, turn off your cell phones, and prepare yourselves for an epic comedy saga. The lights have dimmed, the curtains are opened… the show’s about to begin in Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse!
The post Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Makes its Xbox Debut August 14 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Season 22 of Apex Legends is almost here, and promises a ‘shocking’ shake-up to the high-octane battle royale. Numerous tweaks to gameplay are coming across all modes, and updates to playable Legends and more await on the horizon. But first, let’s get a look at the sixth map coming to Apex Legends in Shockwave: E-District.
During a recent Shockwave preview event, Apex Legends World Director Ed Agostini described E-District as an “urban playground that’s a culmination of five years of learning,” and shared that it’s the most densely populated map to date. The design of E-District places emphasis on freedom of movement, packed with multi-layered architecture, and the introduction of new Gravity Cannons, which can launch Legends high up into the air or across large distances.
Lots of points of interest are designed with close quarters combat in mind, including the tight, winding alleys of Street Market, the ultra-vibrant Neon Square, inspired by Shibuya Center in Tokyo, and the Neon Oval Raceway, an old racetrack converted into makeshift residential spots perfect for chaotic indoor shootouts. The entire map is coated in gorgeous post-Cyberpunk inspiration, and it’ll be in heavy rotation for the first split of the season so players can explore it fully.
Josh Mohan, Associate Design Director on Apex Legends, shares Respawn has also been assessing changes that will benefit newcomers and more casual players to foster an environment where everyone can learn and have fun regardless of their skill level. One major change promising to change-up the meta is the Revival feature, which provides another way for defeated players to get back into the match with ease.
When a player is eliminated, a respawn timer will kick in, and when the timer hits zero, that teammate will automatically respawn near their surviving teammates without the need for a Respawn Beacon. Surviving squad mates can even speed up the return of their fallen Legends by getting knocks and kills for an even faster return to the fray.
Mohan shares that the addition of Revival is to “shake-up the core combat loop of Apex,” and create more opportunities for players to get into and stay in the action. It also encourages more players to take risks which results in more fun, dynamic situations during matches.
One other change will see the Battle Sense feature, initially created to help players navigate the battlefield in solo mode, roll into the team-based battle royale mode in Shockwave. The benefits of this mode include visibility of enemy health bars, as well as highlighted attackers at close range.
Bin Day
Shockwave will also introduce new ways for Legends to gather up loot during a match. Mid-way through a game, all open loot bins on the map will close back up and reroll fresh loot for passing players. This not only provides new opportunities to stock up or change items, but also takes away environmental clues that a team has looted the area before you, which is interesting.
Two brand new bins will also offer opportunities for Legends to grab those high-end loadouts and attachments. A few gold bins, containing better loot and items (including gold attachments) will randomly appear in the place of regular bins, while one mythic bin somewhere on the map is guaranteed to contain Evo for your shield, a gold weapon, or a mythic weapon found in care package drops. Be mindful though, every team can see the location of the mythic bin, which is sure to cause some squabbles over the coveted items inside.
If like me you’re into dual-wielding, you’re going to feel right at home with Shockwave’s new Akimbo update, which allows Legends to carry and fire two P2020 pistols or Mozambique shotguns in combat.
However, wielding two guns won’t mean endless looting to kit them out – the second gun is essentially a mirror of the one in your equipment, including all of its attachments. While in Akimbo, both guns are also fully automatic with improved hip fire for ease in those scrappy close-up fights.
Light Machine Guns are also receiving a little love this season with the Gun Shield Generator hop-up, which gives you a small shield in your sights. It won’t save you from those aggressive flanks, but will absorb precious damage if you’re being attacked head-on.
Of course, every season comes equipped with a new Battle Pass full of treats – new Legendary skins for Legends and weapons, as well as Exotic Shards, but Shockwave is making it a little more attainable for players. Battle Passes are now shorter, and you’ll get two throughout Shockwave’s duration – one at the start of the season on August 6 and another at the seasonal split. You’ll also be able to unlock the premium Battle Pass for free, just by completing in-game challenges – so save up those Apex Coins!
All of this and more is heading to Apex Legends: Shockwave, launching on August 6. Hop in for free on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. For more updates on Shockwave’s new content, head to the official Apex Legends website.
The post Apex Legends: Shockwave Arrives August 6 – With New Map E-District, Automatic Respawns, Loot Refreshes and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.
This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.
FromSoftware or Soulslike game fans, rejoice! The PS5 remake of Demon’s Souls from 2020, the precursor to the Elden Ring phenomenon, is now available for PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers.
This visually stunning reimagining brings the brutal world of Boletaria to life with breathtaking detail, offering veterans and newcomers alike a chance to experience the game that started it all.
Did you know? The Demon’s Souls remake includes a mysterious new door, unseen in the original, sparking wild theories among the community. What secrets lie behind it? There’s only one way to find out – dive in and discover for yourself.
Are you not ready yet to pay for Elden Ring and Shadow of Erdtree DLC? Practice in Demon’s Souls for your PlayStation 5. It’s really a good deal.
The post PS5 Brings Inferno with Demon’s Souls to Happy Subscribers for Free appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.
For Baldur’s Gate 3’s biggest fans who haven’t stopped talking and thinking about it since it launched, it probably doesn’t feel like Larian Studio’s Dungeons & Dragons RPG was released a year ago. Yet, here we are, a full trip around the sun since the RPG left early access and was finally unleashed on the world. For…
Hardened battle royalists will remember Caldera, the sandy island map of bunkers and palm trees in Call Of Duty: Warzone. It got shut down last year as Activision focused their efforts elsewhere, making the map unplayable. But you can now revisit those bullet-strewn beaches. In theory, anyway. Activision have released it as a 4GB open-source project that can be explored in a 3D model-viewing tool. That's cool. But among their reasons for doing so, there lies a predictably grubby logic: they want people to use the data to train AI.
Hardened battle royalists will remember Caldera, the sandy island map of bunkers and palm trees in Call Of Duty: Warzone. It got shut down last year as Activision focused their efforts elsewhere, making the map unplayable. But you can now revisit those bullet-strewn beaches. In theory, anyway. Activision have released it as a 4GB open-source project that can be explored in a 3D model-viewing tool. That's cool. But among their reasons for doing so, there lies a predictably grubby logic: they want people to use the data to train AI.
Enlarge / Astroscale's ADRAS-J spacecraft captured these views of the H-IIA rocket upper stage on July 15. (credit: Astroscale)
There are more than 2,000 mostly intact dead rockets circling the Earth, but until this year, no one ever launched a satellite to go see what one looked like after many years of tumbling around the planet.
In February, a Japanese company named Astroscale sent a small satellite into low-Earth orbit on top of a Rocket Lab launcher. A couple of months later, Astroscale's ADRAS-J (Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan) spacecraft completed its pursuit of a Japanese rocket stuck in orbit for more than 15 years.
ADRAS-J photographed the upper stage of an H-IIA rocket from a range of several hundred meters and then backed away. This was the first publicly released image of space debris captured from another spacecraft using rendezvous and proximity operations.
Get another look at the colorful alien setting of Space For Sale in this trailer for the interplanetary adventure game as you embark on your space realtor journey. Space For Sale is available now in Steam Early Access.In Space for Sale, go solo or share the exciting space realtor journey with a friend and double your chances of success in two player co-op. Venture out in your trusty ship to discover the wonders of the solar system! Be smart about your approach, learn how the local lifeforms survive and use your discoveries to enhance the structures and gadgets you create. Research, gather resources, construct your base - cause yes, you've heard correctly, this space is for sale!
Pirates of the Caribbean is coming to Fortnite next month.
Last week's update to Fortnite included characters and content set to be part of the crossover, and initially an event pass featuring Captain Jack Sparrow was made available to buy. Dataminers quickly discovered other characters set to arrive as well, solidifying rumours that emerged several months back when Fortnite's 2024 roadmap first leaked.
Now, acknowledging the event pass' early sale, developer Epic Games has confirmed the crossover's official release: 19th July.
Just one day after media reported that a Phoenix-area woman was trapped in her Tesla when the car's battery died, a follow-up story reveals a similar incident with a toddler in the disabled vehicle: the 20-month-old granddaughter of Renee Sanchez.
Sanchez had strapped her granddaughter into her car seat to take her on a trip to the Phoenix Zoo, and before Sanchez could get into the car herself, the car's battery died and all of the doors locked. — Read the rest
The post Toddler trapped in a Tesla after its battery discharged appeared first on Boing Boing.
This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.
Thinking about upgrading to the latest smartphone but wondering what to do with your old one? Selling your used phone can be a great way ...
The post What Affects Smartphone Resale Value? appeared first on Gizchina.com.
Summer is Coming!
I live in California, so I don’t worry too much about winter as even when it is bad… storms and rain… that is generally good for us. Summer though… it is going to be a hot one. It was already up in the 90s this week and the first official day of summer, June 20th, hasn’t even arrived yet.
On the good news front, we got a heat pump central forced air system for the house, so after 17 years in our place we will have air conditioning in the summer. We’ll be getting solar installed at last early next month so we’ll have the electricity to drive the heat pump which, while it is energy efficient, still draws power.
But that is neither here nor there for this post. I wanted to list out some things coming up in June. I know, isn’t that what the “Coming Up” section of my month in review post is for? Sure, but I forgot some things, found out about some new things, and I’ll put pictures and links in this post. So let’s go!
Yeah, that was Wednesday, but you’re not too late if you want to participate. There is a whole page dedicated to the beta, what content will be available, and how to join here.
The War Within 30 minutes or it is free
The War Within is, of course, the next expansion due later this year for retail WoW. Being somewhat divorced from retail since early in Shadowlands, I have some mild interest in the expansion, but going to retail these days is like going to a foreign country… they do all the same stuff as us… or classic… but it is all slightly different and awkward for a naive traveler like myself. But I’ve been over all of that already, haven’t I?
But a beta… I haven’t done a retail WoW beta since Cataclysm, and we saw how that went.
2021’s huge indy survival success, Valheim, will be making the move to MacOS as the developers look for new markets to conquer.
Are there apples in Valhalla?
I guess it will be on Steam. Does Microsoft Games even support MacOS? Maybe? I don’t know.
But Iron Gate assures us that it will support cross-play, so if you setup a server for you PC buddies and a friend with a Mac shows up, they can play too. I don’t have a Mac anymore… I mean, technically there are at least three MacOS computers in the house as I write this, but I do not actively work or play on the Mac these days.
I suppose if I am listing things out I need to include this. The big old Equinox expansion is coming on Tuesday.
Equinox – Seize Control – June 11, 2024
We shall see then who exactly is seizing control and whether or not null sec will be upended or if it is a great big nothing burger. The ship SKINR should be neat, depending on how they plan to tax people to use it.
The jump back to a more authentic 2006 experience with the EverQuest II Anashti Sul Origins Server is slated to land this month. The beta is slated to end on June 13th… so maybe the following Tuesday, the 18th? Or maybe the 14th? We’ll have to see.
Anashti Sul is a mystery in her way
It may seem a bit odd to go back 18 years for a 20th anniversary celebration, but the 2006 experience marks the settling point for the game, where it finally decided what it was for the moment and moved forward with content. I wrote my views on this decision a while back, and plan to give it a peek when it shows up.
Pax Dei is entering Early Access. What does that mean? All sorts of things I suppose and they have a whole post about it.
Coming to Early Access
As a title it has been kind of on my watch list… I subscribe to their Discord server news channel so updates there show up in the blog’s Discord server… you can join if you like here… but given all the other stuff I have on my list for June, I feel like Pax Dei might not make the cut… especially since they want $40 to be a founder. I already have $40 unplayed games in Steam, I am not sure I need another.
Also, there will be pwipes. I don’t have time for that. Call me when it ships.
The first day of summer, the summer solstice, and Steam is usually pretty good about kicking off the Steam Summer Sale on that day.
Will I buy anything? That is always the question. As noted above, I have my share of unplayed titles already, and I bought a bunch over the Winter Sale… and then ended up playing Valheim.
My Steam Played Stats
You can see your own Steam stats over at SteamDB.
Also, as it came out last week, when you cannot pass on your Steam titles. You die, your account is dead… unless your give your kids your password and have family sharing on or something. I am sure there is a work around, but it is just a reminder that nothing “digital” you buy is actually yours. (Word is GoG.com might let you pass things on to your heirs, but there is paperwork involved.)
You want to have access to something it needs a physical… though even that isn’t a guarantee. Sonus loves to brick their older sound systems and Spotify is bricking their car player later this year… though you might get a refund after a lot of outrage at their “fuck you” attitude about the whole thing… and all sorts of “smart” home devices end up getting bricked by Google or whoever buys the company then discontinues them.
Anyway, side rant there. But for our new heat pump I got a dumb Honeywell thermostat. No Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, no other connectivity or ability to host Russian bot nets, and no way for Honeywell to shut it down without showing up at my doorstep.
Tarisland, Tencent’s everybody-says-it-is-a-WoW-knockoff MMORPG title is set to go live on Windows, Android, and iOS on the second day of summer.
Coming soon and Free to Play
Tencent is promising all the things, diverse classes, challenging raids, a flexible talent system, excellent graphics, all in a free to play package with a cash shop that I am sure will have all the usual items in it.
Still, it is the first MMORPG from a big player to hit our market since maybe Lost Ark.
As with everything Tencent has a big post about joining in on the fun. We’ll see if I can find the time for it come launch day.
Children of the 90s… or maybe those of us who were young-ish adults of the 90s… hear me and weep. What might have been the first instant messenger platform I ever used, ICQ, is going away on June 26th!
ICQ Logo Evolution
This was one of those one-two punch bits of news where I was saddened to find that ICQ was going away, but first I was surprised it was even still around.
What to say? Way back in the day we used to use it to tell people to log in for a zone in TorilMUD. I kept the login going well into the 2000s with Trillian. Somewhere along the line I let it go, forgot the password, couldn’t remember my number, and basically moved on.
Still, it was quite a thing back in the day. I told somebody I had a 5 digit ICQ number… but it might have been a 6 digit number. This was like 25 years ago or more, right? I had it before I had a Yahoo account, and they sent me a 25 year anniversary notice last year. (I noted the 24th anniversary message they sent me, but decided that didn’t have to be an EVERY year thing.)
Anyway, that was all I had for June. Did I miss anything? I mean, at least anything there is a chance I might play? I am not really primed for things like the Elden Ring expansion of whatever is going on in FFXIV.
This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.
GameFromScratch.com
Affinity Products 50% Off in Flash Sale
Recently Adobe outraged their customers with an update to their terms of service and an attempt to clarify things doesn’t seem to have helped much. Well just like when Unity self destructed over the run-time fee, it’s competitors were quick to take advantage of the discord. It seems the same […]
The post Affinity Products 50% Off in Flash Sale appeared first on GameFromScratch.com.
Nightingale now has an offline mode as part of its latest update.
The early access survival crafting game's update 0.3 also introduces new quest NPCs Joan of Arc and Edgar Allan Poe among others, as well as new tiered creatures, Bound enemies, and questlines.
Developer Inflexion stated earlier this year that offline play was a priority, despite the game's focus on co-operative exploration.
Rivervale is the halfling home town, where those barefoot little mooks start their journey in Norrath.
Halflings are, of course, the hobbits of Tolkien lore… except only hobbits, wizards, and authorized agents of the Tolkien estate use the word “hobbits,” such that TSR was sued by the latter for using the word “hobbit” (along with “ent” and “balrog”) in early printings of Dungeons & Dragons, so had to change to “halfling” and “treant” (Nalrog became some kind of demon as I recall, maybe a pit lord?), terms which we now use freely when not wanting to face the wrath of Tolkien’s heirs and business managers. (Which now include the horrible Embracer Group.) Anyway, that was back in the 70s, so by the time EverQuest showed up the naming scheme was a long established practice for any title not paying royalties to the Tolkien estate. (Tolkien enterprises apparently also tried to take hold of “dragon,” “goblin,” “dwarf,” and “warg,” but there was so much prior art around those words that they couldn’t make it stick.)
But look at these guys, they are hobbits, right?
Kind of an unfortunate last name I suppose…
Also, the early Norrath obsession with alcohol is present… and is that a “G” run on that barrel in the back room? (You might need to click on the image to enlarge it to see.) Are you just looking for the Tolkien estate lawyers to start climbing all over you?
Anyway, Rivervale is one of those locations in Norrath that I probably have stronger memories of from EverQuest II that the original EverQuest. In part, that is because it isn’t exactly a memorable place. While probably more intricate than Surefall Glade, it isn’t all that big, mostly being centered around the Fool’s Gold inn, which is about the middle of the town.
The Fool’s Gold Inn – BarcaLoungers in every room
Rivervale isn’t quite Hobbiton, or even Michel Delving. The Fool’s Gold has a somewhat organic feel, like it might be built around the remains of a large tree trunk, but the town hall is a stone faced edifice, like a low rent Petra, where the mayor sits on the top floor running the place with an iron fist, enforcing his will with an army of masked deputies who are the most common sight on the paths.
A veritable halfling Mount Doom with that sky color…
There are some hobbit… erm… halfling holes around, though they lack the signature round doors that we read about in the description of hobbit holes back in The Hobbit.
Halflings adopt the right angle for technology based reasons
That is probably less to do with the Tolkien estate and more to do with the state of 3D world rendering technology in the late 90s. The rest of the place is mostly buildings that feel borrowed from elsewhere in Norrath.
Are the feet weary or is the foot rest weary?
Anyway, going to the Project 1999 wiki for a map…
Rivervale Map
The legend for that map:
That is a nice little burg, big enough to stretch your short legs, but not so large that you would get lost in it for more than 30 seconds.
What is odd about Rivervale is its location. It is kind of shoved into an odd corner in the middle of Antonica, wedged between some less savory spots.
I mean sure, its front yard starting zone, Misty Thicket, is fine.
The Misty Thicket map
It even has some very halfling quests, something of a precursor to the Shire quests in LOTRO eight years later, like the one where you get a box and have to go around finding specimens of local plant and animal life for a collection.
The legend for that map:
I mean, there are some orc and goblins pretty close to hand, but that is why the mayor no doubt ran on a campaign to build a wall, which at least in fantasy worlds is a goal that can be accomplished.
Just another stone in the wall…
Misty Thicket is another one of those zones that got a revamp while the home town stayed in original condition. I think there was some revamp of Runnyeye, which became Runnyeye Citadel in a later expansion, and this was the attached zone they chose to spiff up. Anyway, it means that you get some 2007 level 3D rendering of actual curves in the place, as well as updated textures.
The rats however are still from 1999
However, the mention of Runnyeye brings me to the issues I mentioned above, which is that Rivervale and Misty Thicket are hemmed in by danger. Not that you can’t find danger when venturing out from any hometown, but the poor halflings have Runnyeye on one side of things, with the Gorge of King Xorbb and East Karana beyond, and Kithicor Forest on the other side, a hazardous zone that lays between halflings and the Commonlands and Freeport.
Runnyeye isn’t so bad, and is the halfling fill-in for Blackburrow or Crushbone I suppose, though it always felt more dangerous and more like a dungeon than either of those. And Kithicor can be traveled safely if you know what you are doing… hugging the wall… but any naive wee halfling wandering out to follow the road through Kithicor was in for a rough time of it.
I do wonder if, like so much of Norrath, this was influenced by Sojourn/TorilMUD where the halfling starting town, Beluir, was stuck way down south in the Calimshan Desert, which meant anybody who just had to make a halfling rogue would have a rough time of it traveling north to Waterdeep. Not that Rivervale is that far off the beaten path… but it also isn’t attached to the Commonlands directly either. I think dark elves have an easier time getting to Freeport.
Anyway, that is what I have on Rivervale… and really all the starting points I am familiar with.
I never rolled up any of the “evil” races, so have no memories of the home towns for dark elves, trolls, or ogres. But there is always Erudin. We’ll see if I can string together a few coherent paragraphs about that place. It is, if nothing else, “different” than many other locations.
Series so far:
This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.
Ulefone is excited to kick off the first sale of its latest 5G flagship rugged smartphone, the Armor 25T Pro, available now for just $289.99 ...
The post The Most Affordable 5G Rugged Phone with Thermal Imaging Ulefone Armor 25T Pro Starts First Sale at Just $289.99 appeared first on Gizchina.com.
What’s dead may never die. E3 may finally be gone for good but its spirit lives on in Summer Game Fest. Hosted by The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley, the event kicks off in June and promises teases, trailers, and world premieres for the biggest games of tomorrow and beyond. Here’s every gaming conference,…
Everyone has a sequel they’re waiting for someone to greenlight. Some of our favorite video game franchises exist in a sad state of limbo. It’s only natural that after decades of companies making games and trying to earn the most money from them, that some good titles would fall through the cracks, never to become a…
This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.
War never changes, but Fortnite sure does, and soon it will change yet again: The Fortnite Twitter account teased today that Bethesda's famed RPG series Fallout is on its way to the game.
The image of the Brotherhood of Steel power armor helmet is unmistakable, while the emojis in the body of the tweet are a little more subtle but still clearly a play on the famous image of a winking, thumbs-up Vault Boy.
There's no indication as to what sort of Fallout stuff the crossover will include, but there's plenty to choose from: Power armor is an obvious choice, along with the famous blue and yellow Vault jumpsuits and surely some form of Vault Boy implementation. Post-nuclear map features also seem like a good bet. And maybe some Ink Spots?
It's been almost 10 years since the last mainline Fallout game, Fallout 4, but the series has been riding high in recent weeks thanks to the hit series on Amazon, which became one of its most-watched shows ever and sparked an across-the-board resurgence for the Fallout games. Given that, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some show-specific items as well—a Walton Goggins Ghoul skin is definitely one I'd wear. In the game, I mean.
Whatever's coming, we'll no doubt be hearing more about it soon: As noted by IGN, Fortnite's in-game news feed said Chapter 5 Season 3 is set to go live "courtesy of the Brotherhood of Steel" on May 24.
© Epic Games
Doja Cat isn't just an award-winner singer and rapper. She's also a gamer—specifically, a fan of Fortnite. And like many dedicated fans, she has rather strong feelings about particular aspects of it, which she recently shared on her very lively Twitter feed.
Let's just dive face-first into it.
"FORTNITE WOULDN'T BE SO FUCKING EMBARRASSING IF THEY MADE LOBBIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH ACTUAL AIM SKILLS AND FPS EXPERIENCE DIDN'T DEAL WITH LOSERS USING FUCKING WATER BENDING AND CHAINS OF HADES."
Chains of Hades is an epic melee weapon introduced in the ongoing Chapter 5 Season 2 of Fortnite that does multi-stage damage to enemies and can also be used to pull items and other players toward the user. It is, by all reports (very much including the one above) pretty OP. Water Bending is a mythic item that enables users to fire powerful ice projectiles at other players, and also has a healing ability.
Water bending is also, according to Doja Cat,
"A FUCKING CRUTCH YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT THE GAME BECAUSE OF WATER BENDING, I WOULD BECOME SEVERELY DEPRESSED IF I HAD TO RELY ON ANY OF THESE STUPID NON FUCKING WEAPONS."
Somewhat oddly, another pair of tweets in which Doja Cat recommended that Epic remove Chains of Hades from Fortnite because people who use them are, let me see here... oh yes, "dumb cunts," has been deleted. Perhaps she decided the language was a little salty.
In any event.
I don't know if she's right or wrong, nor am I clear what sort of authority she brings to the table in matters of game design: To be perfectly honest, until today I assumed Doja Cat was some sort of anime nonsense. But as Eurogamer notes, her Fortnite bona fides are legit. Clips of her music appear in the game, and she references it in her song Agora Hills, singing, "We fuck too good when the bean kicks in—like Fortnite, I'ma need your skin."
Okay then.
Doja Cat's appraisal does seem to have sparked a debate: Plenty of people seem to agree with her assessment, but others take issue, saying that water bending in particular requires skill—just a different kind of skill—to be used effectively. The marketplace of ideas in action! Or whatever's going on here:
For the record, Doja Cat doesn't take issue with all the new mythic items in Fortnite's current season. In response to a complaint about the Thunderbolt of Zeus she tweeted, "thunderbolt is fine," and she's okay with the Wings of Icarus too.
© Getty Images
Video games must be three hours-long or infinite and nothing in between. The latest Steam event is designed to celebnrate the latter. The Endless Replayability Fest runs from now until May 20th, "celebrating games and demos you can play over and over again."
Respawn has dropped a new teaser for the next season of its free-to-play battle royale, Apex Legends.
The trailer shows off what to expect when season 21, Upheaval, drops next week, and gets us up close and personal with "the embodiment of disruption", new Legend Alter. You can check out the action for yourself in the trailer embedded below:
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