Star Wars Outlaws is the latest game that takes place in the Star Wars universe right in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The story follows a scoundrel named Kay Vess as she makes a name for herself as an outlaw—and her loveable pet, Nix. For the first time, players will be diving into an open-world Star Wars game with Star Wars Outlaws, and they’ll be doing it as a woman.

CGM got to sit down with two women taking the lead with Star Wars Outlaws, Humberly González and Nikky Foy. González, known for her roles in Ginny & Georgia on Netflix and more recently, Tarot, is the voice of Kay and handles all the motion capture for the role. Foy is the Lead Scriptwriter for Star Wars Outlaws at Ubisoft Toronto, which means not only do we have a woman as the face of the game, but we have one narrating it, too.

We talked with Foy and González about what it means to work on such a beloved property, how being women and having women take the lead has influenced Star Wars Outlaws, and what that means to them. Seeing women as the faces and storytellers behind these epic tales is something every girl needs growing up, and that knowledge was not lost on the pair while working on Star Wars Outlaws for the last several years.

I read you both worked on Far Cry 6. Did your paths cross while working on it, or did you recently meet on Star Wars Outlaws?  

Nikki Foy: Well, recently is…

Humberly González: The last couple of years, yes!

Nikki Foy: For Far Cry 6, we didn’t really work together. I was mostly doing the villain DLC stuff. 

Humberly González: Right. And I played Jonrón, which wasn’t a part of that. We don’t often get to interact with everybody. Sometimes, you’re a part of a project, and there are so many humans attached. 

And non-humans in the case of Star Wars Outlaws [Nix].

Humberly González: And then non-humans! It’s kind of cool that we both come from the same projects and now we actually get to interact so often. 

Nikki Foy: Yeah, I think, too, as a writer, you see more of the actors than they see of you, right? So, on Far Cry 6, I definitely knew who Humberly was and all her work and stuff. When we were casting this, that was all in there for sure.

So our nerdy fandoms, especially things like Star Wars, present very male-dominated, whether that’s the creative team or the fans. What’s it like to lead the charge on this both as the creative team and as the voice and the body of Star Wars Outlaws? To lead this male-dominated universe and have it be women first right now.

Nikki Foy: It’s a really great opportunity, I think, for not just individuals but for the brand as a whole. I was just talking about how I was at Galaxy’s Edge for the first time in my life and just cried the whole time because I couldn’t believe it. And I was building a lightsaber in that experience, which was so cool. But next to me, there were two sisters, and they were probably six and eight, building one next to me. And I just felt so…

And now I’m crying. I have kids that age.

Nikki Foy: I just cried very hard the whole time because it was just like this brand meant so much to me, and I didn’t have someone like Kay to really see myself in. I loved Princess Leia, but I wanted to be Han, right? And I think getting to bring that to life is so special. And our whole team, really, that’s been the goal from the beginning. It’s been really special.

Humberly González: Yes, to be a leading woman not just in a Star Wars story but in the video game industry, which also tends to have a lot of limitations and misogyny and kind of in-and-out politics of who can be a part of it and who you want to play as. I am incredibly proud of the team having chosen someone like me, but also only me, that there isn’t a male counterpart to the story of Star Wars Outlaws that we are focusing on a female point of view of a scoundrel story because we’ve only really ever seen males in a scoundrel position.

So the representation is incredible for me as an immigrant Latina in Canada to bring, to even get to speak about my country, about Venezuela, about what it means to me as an artist that I followed this dream not having any of my family here, not having a lot of mentors in my family or anyone to look up to or content to look up to. Even in Star Wars, you know, there aren’t a lot of Latinas in this space. And so, for me, I knew that this was going to mean a lot, not just to me and my community and my family, but to everybody else who’s watching it too and playing it. 

“Seeing women as the faces and storytellers behind these epic tales is something every girl needs growing up, and that knowledge was not lost on the pair while working on Star Wars Outlaws for the last several years.”

When they go, “Oh, this is a cool character, I wonder where they’re from?” and then they do the research, I just want people to feel seen and if I can be in any of those categories as a woman, a woman of colour, as an immigrant, as a Latina, any of those are so meaningful for someone who enters a franchise as big as Star Wars. 

So for the next generation, for those little girls in Galaxy’s Edge, for the little girls watching, for anyone back home, for me, if they just simply get to see someone like them on screen, it means something to them. Feel inspired, feel strong, feel seen, feel represented. That, to me, is the goal. It’s incredible because it really is beyond just me. 

Nikki Foy: Yeah, and  I think, too, there’s an empathy element to it that I really love to think about. When I was a kid, I think there’s been a lot of research about this, and people who are talking about it talk about it. But I think, too, it’s easy for young girls to empathize with male characters. It’s something that we’ve always been taught. And I think having this female character who everyone can love and see parts of themselves in is so exciting and fun, too.

It’s made me emotional. I have a five-year-old daughter and then a nine-year-old son, so seeing him see her, see that it is possible in Star Wars Outlaws.

Nikki Foy: Yeah, that’s incredible.

Leaning into that, a lot of the time, people will say being a woman is a weakness. We’re emotional. We’re not tough. We’re not as strong as the male heroes. So, did you need to find a balance with Kay in Star Wars Outlaws, both in writing and acting, in terms of her femininity and her strength? Or do you think that her femininity is her strength?

Nikki Foy: Yeah, I don’t know if we’ve thought about it in terms of that. I remember early on writing this huge document about the way in which female protagonists are different from male protagonists. And not in the way of worse or better, but to me, that point of view really infuses the how of things. Often, the why is the same for characters. 

Like survival, for example, right? Female characters often are shown surviving in a different way. Maybe a cool, charming female character, she’s going to use her feminine wiles to get something done, or she can pretend to be weak, and whatever. And I made this list of things that I was like, “I don’t want Kay to ever do any of these. I don’t want her to ever pretend to be weak. I don’t want her to ever pretend to be weak. I don’t want her to ever use her femaleness to get something.” 

So that was always on our mind. But in terms of, “Oh, how does she treat this?” Or “How does she approach the situation as a female character?” Once we got who Kay was, it was very much like, “How does Kay approach this?” And once we created this character and cast Humberly and got this great vulnerability and real humanity to it, it became so easy to just make choices based on that.

Humberly González: I mean, to step into a character that was made, and then I had to literally give her a soul, and a heart, and a conscience. So knowing that I’m like, “Oh, okay, here’s the character, now bring her to life, quite literally breathe life into her.” I can’t help but bring my heart. I can’t help but bring my vulnerability. 

So, if I think of Kay as a mirror to me, and what femininity means to me, and what my strengths are, I do believe that my vulnerability is a strength. I think that women are resilient. We are troubleshooters and protectors, and there’s this nurturing, and I think you get to see some of those traits with Kay and Nix, you know, Nix is her family, and you see her go above and beyond for him and for a partnership, what loyalty means, what it means. 

There are a lot of themes in there. I think she’s a scoundrel with a bit of a chip because she is vulnerable and she is flawed. In the end, that’s also what brings her ahead. You always say this line, it’s like failing forward. She isn’t afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. There’s no relying on this ego or overly confident like I got it all figured out.

I wasn’t afraid to bring those aspects to her that may seem weak, but really, in a way, it’s her just navigating her growth. It’s her navigating right from wrong, and what she wants to do, and being autonomous in her own choices in this vast galaxy full of danger. She is naive and a rookie, but those could be her strengths too because, at the end of the day, sometimes not knowing takes you further because she’s not relying on fear and not thinking that she can’t do something. She really believes in herself. 

That’s something I have a lot as a person, as Humberley. I believe in my dreams, and I believe in myself. I know my worth. I infused Kay with that. So, you know, if that is something that makes me female or whatever, then great. I want to be that person anyway. 

Absolutely. You’re talking about breathing life into this character in Star Wars Outlaws, and doing that in a video game is one thing. Doing that through MoCap is another, but you’ve also been on stage, live-action, and just regular voice acting. Do you feel like you’re breathing life into characters the same way or in those other mediums, you are the character?

Humberly González: I have to say, ever since doing motion capture—and I’ve worked with Ubisoft for years and years since, like 2016—I believe my first video game was Starlink, which was a video game from the ground up with Ubisoft. I feel like I have a lot more room and depth to bring into the other mediums of the industry that aren’t motion capture because there’s so much detail that comes with only being a voiceover actor. I think it is actually quite vulnerable to be a voice actor. You are not relying on your face or your mannerisms. 

Even right now, I’m talking with my hands but it’s just my voice. How do I convey the real meaning of what I mean if I can’t use everything else? These are all tools that I possess in my being. Motion capture has allowed me to have more awareness of my body. Therefore it infuses my other work. I’m really grateful for this this part of my job. I really love it.

Now, obviously, Star Wars, wow!

Humberly González: That’s it. Wow.

What kind of preparation went into Star Wars Outlaws, and what level of excitement, fear, and nervousness goes into prepping from the ground up and stepping into this role? Especially knowing that there are so many sections of Star Wars and that you are creating your own little pocket.

Nikki Foy: Yeah, I think it’s so weird to have a job where the thing that you should do is consume Star Wars media.

Humberly González: Gotta do it for the job!

Nikki Foy: I remember when I got hired or when I got told, “Yeah, you’re gonna work on this [Star Wars Outlaws].” I didn’t know what to do. So I just, because I was so overwhelmed, I just opened the Clone Wars show on my iPad and had it next to me while I was cooking dinner in a haze and I was like, “I’m working right now. This is part of my job now. I just get to be inspired by all this media that I already love.” So that was what, really, I spent a lot of time-consuming media that I’d already seen, but just with this lens of like, “Oh, okay, Outlaws, scoundrel, underworld.”

 Does that change the way you look at it, though? Once it goes from “This is my love” to “This is my job.”

Nikki Foy: Absolutely! It does, but not in a way that turns it into work. It was more like I was paying attention to things that I wasn’t paying attention to before. I remember even in that example when I was cooking dinner, there was a scene where Ahsoka was in a nightclub in Clone Wars, And I was like, “Oh cool, Kay could be in a nightclub!” I was watching it a lot more actively, I think.

From then, with that going on, I really tried to just catch myself thinking. If I’m walking somewhere and my brain is just off, I’ll try to focus on thinking about Kay. Thinking about her relationships. Thinking about the people in her life. I’m listening to a song. It’s like, “Oh, think about how Kay would feel if this and this and this happen,” you know? So I think that combination is really how I approached starting to write this stuff.

Humberly González: Yeah, I mean, honouring what someone has created, and not just this team, but the franchise itself, knowing that it was between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. I think one of the first things I did was that I’m going to watch the movies and imagine myself in this world and the tone of it, you know? What people are scared of, what’s out there? 

And at the end of the day, it’s also a new story. We have not seen a story where this character isn’t a part of the big rebellion and a Sith or any of this. She is from Canto Bight. She is a young girl who is a thief who’s resilient. She’s surviving. So, there weren’t a lot of examples for me to draw from.

I had to really rely on instinct, asking the writers, asking the directors, like, “Hey is this somewhere where she would be? Is this a thought she would have?” And I think, for me, the work started when I actually got to know more of the story. I think that before, it was just exciting. Anytime I saw anything Star Wars or listened to the theme song or anything, I would just get goosebumps and be like, “Oh, I’m in this! I’m in this!” It just has a different meaning now that I’m forever immortalized in this franchise. 

But growing with Kay, it’s like knowing her backstory and why she says the things she does and why she acts the way that she does, that has been the most joyous part of my job because I love backstory. I mean, for an actor, it’s like, “What’s my motivation here? What am I doing?” And knowing that it has been created specifically for her and therefore me, it was just such a special thing that I’m like, “No one has ever said these words. No one has stepped into…” I am literally walking in her shoes! And so it’s really special to really step into something that’s never been done.

I want to know, in one word, your favourite thing about Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws. What is her trait that we should pay attention to? Sorry, I was wondering if

Humberly González: What is a word for not quitting? 

Resilient?

Nikki Foy: Yeah, resilient is really good. 

Humberly González: She does not give up, man. That girl will try and try and try and try in every single way, and she’ll get it. She gets it!

Nikki Foy: Kay’s quality that I love the most is—it is resilient adjacent—but it’s like this whatever effect of “That’s fine.” 

Humberly González: Surrender. 

Nikki Foy: It’s more active than that. If anything happens, it’s like water off a duck’s back. No matter what’s going on, the worst situation that could happen. 

Humberly González: She doesn’t sweat it. 

Nikki Foy: She’s just like, “Okay.” And when she is upset, it’s for such a fair reason. And it usually comes from a place of hurt and history and stuff. But otherwise, she’s just rolling with the punches, and I love that. I want to be more like that.

Star Wars Outlaws will be released on August 30, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay up to date with everything Star Wars Outlaws here.

Ubisoft has updated the PC requirements for its upcoming Star Wars adventure, Star Wars Outlaws, and released a new teaser showing off what kind of performance PC players can expect when the game releases on 30th August.

Taking up a modest 65GB, the settings shouldn't be too punishing for those looking only to meet the minimum standards – although you will need to have DLSS or FSR – but those pushing for the "ultra" experience will need a decent rig.

Check out the details below:

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A newly shared Assassin's Creed Shadows clip shows how the game makes a witty change to the iconic "Leap of Faith" when performed by protagonist Yasuke. Although Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't the first in the series to feature dual protagonists, it takes the concept much further with distinctive playstyles for Naoe and Yasuke, with the former being more stealth-focused and the latter offering more combative and action-oriented gameplay.

Ubisoft has made another round of layoffs, this time cutting staff from two of its US studios.

A total of 45 employees have been let go across the Assassin's Creed publisher's San Francisco studio and Red Storm Entertainment, which is based in Cary, North Carolina. It is unclear which departments have been affected.

"Yesterday Ubisoft San Francisco and Red Storm Entertainment informed their teams of a restructuring that resulted in 45 employees leaving Ubisoft," a Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN in a statement.

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Blacknut Cloud Gaming has announced a new distribution agreement with Ubisoft.

Starting from this month, "a series of Ubisoft offerings" will join Blacknut's platform, which "allows players to access over 500+ premium games via streaming under a single subscription with no lock-in contract."

Ubisoft – which owns cloud rights to current and new Activision games over the next 15 years – confirms that franchises coming to Blacknut include Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Anno, and Rayman.

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By the time Assassin's Creed Shadows launches this November, the game would have been in development for four years.

It's the longest development cycle for the series so far, and 25% longer than its acclaimed predecessor, 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

"It's great to work on a game that comes after something with the pedigree of Valhalla," explains lead producer Karl Onnée. "But obviously there are great expectations. We always want to go better, which is what we're trying to do with Shadows. We are pushing the limits of what we can do."

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A new leak suggests that Ubisoft is making a spiritual successor of sorts to I Am Alive — its 2012 action-adventure survival game. Released on the PS3 before The Last of Us was a thing, I Am Alive earned a mixed reception and has since been largely forgotten. However, a leaked casting call suggests that Ubisoft hasn’t given up on a post-apocalyptic adventure.

Ubisoft’s leaked project ‘Iridium’ has I Am Alive vibes

Spotted by MP1st, Ubisoft held a casting call for something called “Iridium” in March 2023, and this seems to be the first time it has been discovered. Accompanying plot details were also uncovered, which mentions “ruins of Highpoint City” as the game’s setting.

Iridium apparently takes place after a “terrible” war between humans and some kind of an outside force, severely damaging civilization. Highpoint City is now occupied by said force, and has been turned into a prison of sorts where humans are more of a science experiment.

“Intense radiation prevents organic humans from operating inside the war zone, so human minds are copied into mechanical Shells, allowing them to explore this hostile landscape,” the synopsis reads. And of course, there’s a struggle between various factions for resources, complete with a daring protagonist.

The above sounds like a standard post-apocalyptic game, but there’s certainly an appetite for those. Whether Iridium is still in development or not is anybody’s guess.

The post I Am Alive Spiritual Successor Could Be in Development at Ubisoft, Leak Suggests appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Video game release dates are more a suggestion than a promise these days, and understandably so. Making games is hard and audiences have never been busier and more fickle. Still, it’s disappointing when you find out that sci-fi shooter or fantasy adventure you’ve been waiting for won’t be out any time soon, and a lot…

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Massive Entertainment nastiňuje nové příběhy a postavy, se kterými se hráči setkají v nadcházejícím DLC k této hře s otevřeným světem.

Po odhalení plánu Season Passu pro hru Star Wars Outlaws přichází společnost Massive Entertainment s novým trailerem představujícím obsah. Ten začíná při spuštění exkluzivní misí Jabba’s Gambit, která se zpřístupní po prvním střetu s Huttským kartelem.

Mise zahrnuje vyrovnání „starého dluhu“, který ND-5, Kayův droidí spojenec, „zanedbal“. Při spuštění je k dispozici také balíček postavy Kessel Runner, který poskytuje novou kosmetiku pro Kaye a Nyx. Další je Wild Card, první příběhové DLC, které se objeví na podzim.

Ačkoli nevidíme žádný gameplay, animovaný koncept ukazuje hru Sabacc s vysokými sázkami, do které se hráči infiltrují na příkaz Impéria. Kay se následně spojí s Landem, aby odhalili větší spiknutí v „nejtajnější a nejbezpečnější části“ Mirogany. Na trh budou uvedeny také dva další balíčky postav, Hunter’s Legacy a Cartel Ronin, které však nebyly prozrazeny.

Na jaře se objeví druhé a poslední příběhové rozšíření A Pirate’s Fortune. O příběhu je toho známo ještě méně, kromě toho, že se posádka spojí s pirátem Hondem Ohnakou, aby hledali poklad a obrátili své štěstí.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC. Edice Gold a Ultimate zahrnují Season Pass a třídenní předčasný přístup.

Článek Upoutávka na Season Pass Star Wars Outlaws upozorňuje na Jabba’s Gambit a budoucí příběhové DLC se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Každá postava má jinou rychlost a HP a vývojáři nastiňují, jak mohou konkrétní situace vyhovovat jednomu hernímu stylu více než druhému.

Ubisoft má k dispozici nové video ke hře Assassin’s Creed Shadows, které opět vrhá světlo na dvojici hlavních hrdinů, Naoe a Yasukeho. Jak již bylo několikrát uvedeno, první z nich se specializuje na stealth, zatímco druhý je o boji zblízka.

Naoe je ladná a neuvěřitelně mrštná, dokáže se otočit na hromadu sena jako nic. Oproti tomu Yasuke spadne jako kámen a přistane na zádech. Liší se nejen rychlostí a zásobou zdraví, ale také tím, jak přistupují k některým situacím. Naoe může chtít zaútočit na cíl, zatímco Yasuke se rozhodne pro milosrdenství.

Určité situace také vyžadují specifický charakter. Pokud chcete zaujmout vysokou pozici a získat výhodu proti útočníkům na dálku, je nejlepší volbou Naoe. Při soubojích s těžšími nepřáteli vyniknou Yasukeho schopnosti a síla v boji na blízko. Stále se však můžete pustit do jakékoliv mise s oběma postavami.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows vychází 15. listopadu pro Xbox Series X/S, PS5 a PC.

Článek Video z Assassin’s Creed Shadows popisuje herní rozdíly mezi Naoe a Yasuke se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Do vydání hry Star Wars Outlaws zbývá už jen pár týdnů a Ubisoft se podělil o nový oficiální gameplay trailer pro PC, který ukazuje hlavní prvky této verze.

Většina z nich byla implementována s pomocí společnosti NVIDIA, počínaje technologií RTX Direct Illumination. V níže uvedeném srovnání můžeme vidět, že při zapnuté funkci RTXDI jsou detaily země mnohem znatelnější.

Hra také podporuje ray traced globální osvětlení a ray traced odrazy. Na grafických procesorech GeForce RTX je kvalita všech ray traced efektů zvýšena pomocí technologie NVIDIA DLSS 3.5, známé také jako Ray Reconstruction. Jak jsme viděli již při prvním představení této technologie ve hře Cyberpunk 2077: Zejména odrazy jsou mnohem ostřejší, když je zapnutá rekonstrukce paprsků, a Star Wars Outlaws se řídí stejným pravidlem.

Pro dosažení maximálního výkonu hra Star Wars Outlaws samozřejmě podporuje technologie NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution a Frame Generation. V traileru se krátce podíváme na snímkovou frekvenci, když jsou obě funkce aktivovány. Vypadá to jako prostor kantýny s poměrně velkým počtem NPC kolem a snímková frekvence se pohybuje kolem 110 FPS. Vzhledem k tomu, že se jedná o hru s otevřeným světem, může být samozřejmě snímková frekvence v jiných oblastech nižší. Navíc byl tento snímek pravděpodobně pořízen na nejvýkonnějším grafickém procesoru, který je v současnosti na trhu, GeForce RTX 4090. V neposlední řadě je podporována také technologie NVIDIA Reflex.

Co se týče procesoru, hra byla optimalizována pro procesory Intel 14. generace a nabízí „optimalizace škálování výkonu procesoru“. Od dubna do 31. července byl k dispozici balíček s hrou; ti, kdo využili nabídky a zakoupili nový procesor u vhodných prodejců, získají před uvedením hry na trh kód zdarma.

O systémové požadavky na PC se Ubisoft podělil již před několika týdny, ale vy si je můžete rychle ověřit v infografice níže. V případě, že systémové požadavky nesplňujete, je tu vždy možnost cloudového streamování přes GeForce NOW.

Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PC, PlayStation 5 a Xbox Series S|X. Ubisoft se nedávno podělil o plán po vydání, který zahrnuje dvě příběhová rozšíření: Wild Card (na podzim 2024) a A Pirate’s Fortune (na jaře 2025). Kompletní přehled dostupných informací o hře najdete v našem souhrnném článku.

Článek Star Wars Outlaws ukazuje PC funkce v novém traileru se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Až bude hra Star Wars Outlaws koncem tohoto měsíce uvedena na trh, budou se hráči moci ponořit do vůbec první plně otevřené hry Star Wars, jejíž mezihvězdná mapa bude obsahovat celou řadu různých planet, měsíců a dalších míst, která budou moci hráči prozkoumávat.

Před vydáním hry Ubisoft a vývojářské studio Massive Entertainment nabídli další pohled na některé z planet, které budou hráči ve hře prozkoumávat (prostřednictvím IGN).

Jak si asi dokážete představit, řada planet ve hře Star Wars Outlaws bude fanouškům IP známá, od pouštní planety Tatooine až po ledovou Kijimi, která byla poprvé představena ve hře The Rise of Skywalker. Je tu také planeta Vnějšího okraje Akiva, zatímco větrem ošlehaný savanový měsíc Toshara bude zcela novou lokací zavedenou do kánonu Star Wars. Ve hře se objeví také fanoušky oblíbená lokace Canto Bight, která však v traileru není uvedena. Trailer si můžete prohlédnout níže.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC. 

Článek Trailer ke hře Star Wars Outlaws ukazuje rozmanitost planet se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Ve hře Assassin’s Creed Shadows se hráči vžijí do role dvou spoluhráčů, z nichž každý přináší svůj jedinečný herní styl a mechanismy. Je tu samuraj Yasuke, který bude více zaměřen na boj a umožní hráčům čelit nepřátelům tváří v tvář, zatímco shinobi Naoe bude mnohem mrštnější a zaměří se více na stealth.

S tou je samozřejmě série Assassin’s Creed spojována nejsilněji a Ubisoft nyní odhalil nový gameplay klip, který nabízí pohled na to, co můžeme od Assassin’s Creed Shadows v tomto směru očekávat. Kromě hbitých a mrštných parkourových pohybů bude mít Naoe k dispozici také na fyzice založený hák, který je v gameplay klipu také plně k vidění. Podívejte se na něj níže.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows vyjde 15. listopadu pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC.

Grappling hook, flips… Move swiftly across rooftops with Naoe’s new parkour moves. #AssassinsCreedShadows pic.twitter.com/t4c2xEhFje

— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) August 12, 2024

Článek Gameplay z Assassin’s Creed Shadows ukazuje parkur Naoe a využití háku se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Na hru Assassin’s Creed zasazenou do feudálního Japonska se čekalo dlouho, ale letos Ubisoft konečně dá lidem to, co chtějí, a to hru Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Zajímavé však je, že podle vývojářů by omezení předchozího hardwaru nedokázala spravedlivě ztvárnit toto prostředí, a právě díky pokroku, který je nyní k dispozici, Assassin’s Creed konečně zavítá do Japonska.

V rozhovoru pro GamesIndustry hlavní producent Karl Onnée vysvětlil, že Ubisoft hledal „správný čas“ na japonské prostředí ve hře Assassin’s Creed, a dodal, že možnosti současné generace hardwaru a aktualizovaná verze enginu Anvil, na kterém byla hra vyvíjena, umožnily vývojovému týmu „skutečně naplnit naši vizi“.

„Je to něco, co jsme vždycky chtěli udělat, ale chtěli jsme najít ten správný čas. A jsem si jistý, že ostatní týmy by to také rády udělaly,“ řekl Onnée. „Měli jsme tu možnost, protože jsme dělali Assassin’s Creed Odyssey [odehrávající se v Řecku], takže jsme měli zkušenosti. Ale také jsme cítili, že nastal ten správný okamžik, protože máme výkon, co se týče hardwaru, ale také naši novou verzi enginu, takže jsme mohli skutečně realizovat naši vizi. Bylo pro nás důležité, abychom měli k dispozici věci jako světlo a stíny, které jsou velmi náročné na výkon. A věci jako dynamické počasí.“

Dynamické roční období a systém osvětlení, o nichž se Onnée zmínil, byly v popředí zájmu v mnoha ukázkách Assassin’s Creed Shadows, které Ubisoft zatím představil, a bylo potvrzeno, že jejich změny dynamicky ovlivňují svět významným způsobem. Co se týče velikosti, hra bude podobná Assassin’s Creed Origins – což znamená, že ve srovnání s Odyssey a Valhalou se dočkáme relativně menšího světa – ale co se týče komplexnosti a hustoty, vypadá to, že Ubisoft vše posílil – alespoň podle toho, co říká Onnée.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows vyjde 15. listopadu pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC.

Článek Vývojářský tým hry Assassin’s Creed Shadows „mohl díky aktualizovanému enginu skutečně naplnit naši vizi“ se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Publisher Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment have announced the post-launch Season Pass roadmap for the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws. The roadmap includes a Character Pack, an exclusive mission on launch day, a story expansion called “Wild Card”, in Fall, along with two cosmetic bundles. Lastly, the story expansion, Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune, will launch in Spring 2025. Star Wars Outlaws will launch on August 30 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Ubisoft Store. The game recently went gold.

The game’s details:

Launch Day

Exclusive Mission

Character Pack

Fall 2024

Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card – Kay is hired to infiltrate a high-stakes Sabacc tournament, but as she crosses paths with the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, she soon learns that another game is being played.

Two Cosmetic Bundles – Season Pass owners will also get the “Hunter’s Legacy Bundle” and the “Cartel Ronin Bundle” with additional outfits for Kay and Nix plus cosmetics for Kay’s speeder and her ship, the Trailblazer.

Spring 2025

Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune – The Trailblazer’s reputation precedes Kay as she runs into veteran pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who is looking to settle old scores with a ruthless gang of pirates.

Star Wars Outlaws details via Ubisoft:

Experience the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted.

If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity.

Key Features

Discover a Galaxy of Opportunity – Explore distinct planets with bustling cities and cantinas before racing across sprawling outdoor landscapes on your speeder. Each planet brings new adventures, unique challenges, and enticing rewards if you’re willing to take the risk.

Experience an Original Scoundrel Story – Live the high-stakes lifestyle of an outlaw. With Nix by your side, turn any situation to your advantage: fight with your blaster, overcome with stealth and gadgets, or find the right moments to distract foes and gain the upper hand.

Embark on High-Stakes Missions – Take on high-risk, high-reward missions from the galaxy’s crime syndicates. Steal valuable goods, infiltrate secret locations, and outwit enemies as one of the galaxy’s most wanted.

Stay tuned at Gaming Instincts via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for more gaming news.

The post Star Wars Outlaws Season Pass Roadmap Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

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Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws has received a roadmap for its Season Pass, which includes information on its cosmetic bundles, story DLC packs, and more. At launch, Season Pass owners can access an exclusive mission, “Jabba’s Gambit,” and obtain the Kessel Runner Pack and cosmetics to make protagonist Kay Vess donning Han Solo’s iconic outfit.

The first story DLC, Wild Card, launches in Fall 2024 and focuses on infiltrating a Sabacc tournament. There’s more going on than meets the eye, especially when Lando Calrissian gets involved. Two cosmetic bundles – Hunter’s Legacy and Cartel’s Ronin – will also be available, providing more outfits for Kay and Nix alongside Speeder and Trailblazer cosmetics.

A Pirate’s Fortune is the second story DLC pack, launching in Spring 2025. Kay encounters space pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who seemingly wants her help to deal with a rival crew. Judging by the title, it may involve riches.

Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out ten new things we learned about it based on new gameplay. You can also head here for the PC requirements or discover its various accessibility options.

Source

Davide Soliani has left Ubisoft after being with the developer for over two decades.

Ubisoft Milan's creative director shared the news on social media, in which he said it was time "to embark on a new adventure."

"After 25 years, 11 of which [were] beautifully spent working with Nintendo on Mario + Rabbids along [with] the company of our incredible community of players, I have decided to leave Ubisoft to embark on a new adventure," he wrote. "I can't say more now. Thanks a lot for everything, truly."

Read more

Ubisoft has issued a statement regarding Assassin's Creed Shadows, acknowledging that some "promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community."

"For this, we sincerely apologise," the statement read. "All game footage presented so far is in development and the game will keep evolving until launch."

It is unclear what materials Ubisoft is referring to exactly, but PCGamesN mentioned in its reporting that a petition started in Japan calling for Assassin's Creed Shadows' cancellation has garnered over 94,000 signatures.

Read more

China has approved a number of new mobile games for release, most notably Marvel Rivals, Rainbow Six, Dynasty Warriors, and Final Fantasy 14 Mobile.

According to Niko Partners, a total of 15 games were approved yesterday (2nd August), including the still-as-yet-unconfirmed Final Fantasy 14 mobile port.

The news adds credence to a recent rumour that Final Fantasy developer Square Enix had linked up with Tencent to develop a mobile version of its fan-favourite MMO, Final Fantasy 14.

Read more

It barely feels like five minutes since the last one, but, somehow, Gamescom is almost upon us again. Which means publishers are starting to detail their plans for the show - and in Microsoft's case, we now know that'll include daily livestreams for those at home, plus over 50 playable games for anyone wandering the Koelnmesse's halls.

Attendees visiting Microsoft's Hall 7 Gamescom booth in person will find 50 games from Xbox Game Studios, Blizzard, Bethesda, and third-party partners, playable across 240 gaming stations. These include Age of Mythology: Retold, Ara: History Untold, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, Fallout 76: Milepost Zero, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road, and Towerborne.

Playable third-party games, meanwhile, include Star Wars Outlaws, Space Marine 2, and the long-awaited Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. A full list of games at the booth can be found here.

Read more

Last week, Ubisoft raised eyebrows when it issued a vaguely-worded apology for "some elements" in Assassin's Creed Shadows' promotional materials that had "caused concern" among some fans.

Fans widely attributed the statement as referring to the ongoing backlash towards the game's inclusion of historical figure Yasuke as a Black samurai and its dual protagonist. Moderators of the main Assassin's Creed reddit this week described the topic as a "tedious discussion" that Ubisoft's statement had only "exacerbated".

In contrast, Ubisoft creative director Julian Gerighty has now acknowledged online criticism of Star Wars Outlaws - specifically, the aesthetic appearance of main character Kay Vess - by stating that "bad-faith" debates are "not worth engaging with".

Read more

The Star Wars Outlaws team has devised a solution to that 'yellow paint' debate.

Many video game developers have introduced yellow paint into their games, as a way of signposting players where to go next. Not sure where to climb? Look for the yellow scuffs on the cliff side. If it's a building, maybe look out for a yellow drainpipe or window ledge. Resident Evil even features yellow locks for players to pick.

Needless to say, yellow paint - or indeed any brightly coloured marker - is a pretty common occurrence across the video game landscape. It is a useful accessibility tool for many players. And, this same paint-based path finder also features in Star Wars Outlaws. That is, unless you don't want it to.

Read more

Aside from a blue paint job and some migraine inducing Na'vi Senses, last year's movie tie-in, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora was a Far Cry game in all but name. It's a typical Ubisoft move to repurpose portions of an existing product that has already proven popular with their audience, but in the case of Avatar, the final result failed to set the metaphorical Home Tree on fire (sorry, too soon?).

I think part of why Avatar's players burnt out so quickly (sorry again), was that it was basically just Far Cry but made worse with the addition of a bunch of Avatar gubbins. In the case of Star Wars Outlaws however, Ubisoft hasn't just picked one singular game to rework. Here, its plucked all the best bits from across its biggest franchises and created this melting pot of familiar gameplay elements. These elements are instantly recognisable when you see them one-by-one, sure, but they all come together as a whole to create a proper Star Wars-y feeling adventure.

When our dashing Deputy Editor, Chris Tapsell went hands-on with Star Wars Outlaws in June, he came away underwhelmed by the dated gameplay he'd experienced during the trio of linear missions he'd been given to play. As if countering that preview with a big, 'well check this out then', Ubisoft invited me along to a four-hour preview session that featured a big chunk of open-world action instead, where player were let off the leash to explore as they saw fit.

Read more

The main Assassin's Creed reddit, subscribed to by more than 717,000 users, has taken a firm stance on the continuing backlash to Black samurai Yasuke protagonist in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

A post from the popular reddit's moderation team has drawn a line under the ongoing "'debate'" over whether the real-life figure of Yasuke was a samurai or not, and to what extent his depiction in Assassin's Creed Shadows will be historically accurate.

It's a matter Ubisoft appeared to wade into last week via a vaguely-worded statement that raised eyebrows after it apologised for "some elements" in the game's promotional materials it said had "caused concern" among some Japanese fans. Now, in a lengthy statement, the moderation team says Ubisoft's statement had "exacerbated" the matter further.

Read more

For those watching the Olympics opening ceremony last night, no, that was not your imagination – a familiar hooded Assassin did indeed appear to invade the rooftops of Paris last night.

Whilst it's hard to find footage given a trigger-happy copyright gremlin is striking down videos all over the place, there are still a number of images and video of a figure not unlike Assassin's Creed Unity's Arno carrying the Olympic torch for anyone who missed it:

Read more

Star Wars Outlaws is a modern AAA video game launching in 2024 which means that, of course, Ubisoft has released a road map filled with upcoming content for the open-world action game, despite it not even being out yet.

Read more...

Source

Hra Star Wars Outlaws od společnosti Massive Entertainment obdržela roadmapu pro svůj Season Pass, která obsahuje informace o kosmetických balíčcích, příběhových DLC balíčcích a další informace.

Při spuštění budou mít majitelé Season Passu přístup k exkluzivní misi „Jabba’s Gambit“ a získají balíček Kessel Runner a kosmetiku, díky níž si hlavní hrdinka Kay Vess oblékne ikonický obleček Hana Sola.

První příběhové DLC, Wild Card, vychází na podzim 2024 a zaměřuje se na infiltraci turnaje Sabacc. Děje se toho víc, než se na první pohled zdá, zvlášť když se do toho zaplete Lando Calrissian. K dispozici budou také dva kosmetické balíčky – Hunter’s Legacy a Cartel’s Ronin, které vedle kosmetiky Speeder a Trailblazer poskytnou další kosmetiku pro Kay a Nix.

A Pirate’s Fortune je druhý příběhový balíček DLC, který vyjde na jaře 2025. Kay se setkává s vesmírným pirátem Hondem Ohnakou, který zdánlivě chce její pomoc, aby se vypořádal s konkurenční posádkou.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro konzole Xbox Series X/S, PS5 a PC.

Článek Star Wars Outlaws odhaluje plán Season Passu, první příběhové DLC vyjde na podzim 2024 se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Pokračování hry Beyond Good & Evil se chystá už od roku 2008, kdy se o tomto projektu poprvé zmínil Ubisoft. Poté se ale po hře slehla zem. Tak to bylo až do roku 2017, kdy se hra ukázala v Los Angeles na E3 i o rok později. Tehdy jsme ale ještě netušili to, jak dlouhé čekání to bude, a že se ještě před vydáním dočkáme remasteru původní hry. Oťukává si tak francouzské studio herní komunitu, aby zjistilo, zda má pokračování vůbec smysl?

Recenzovaná verze: PlayStation 5

Beyond Good & Evil se odehrává v roce 2435 na moderní planetě Hillys. Náš příběh začíná právě v momentě, kdy je planetka pod těžkým útokem mimozemšťanů DomZ, kteří se snaží místní obyvatele zotročit či přeměnit na energii. Zde také přichází na scénu hlavní postava hry. Jade je mladá sympatická novinářka, která se společně se svým strýčkem Pey’jem stará o sirotčinec.

Oběma si v den útoku obrátí život vzhůru nohama, stejně jako mně, když jsem se ke mě tehdejší novinka od Ubisoftu dostala. Ne, to už trochu přeháním, ale pravdou je, že jsem byl jeden z těch hráčů, kteří si hru na PlayStation 2 užívali plnými doušky. Tehdy mě ještě nezajímala čísla prodejů a neměl jsem tak ani ponětí, jak moc velký průšvih to pro francouzského velikána byl.

Je to už 15 let od chvíle, kdy bylo oznámeno pokračování příběhu Jade a jejího strýčka a upřímně, i mě to čekání už unavuje. Vydání remasteru prvního dílu jsem tak přivítal s nadšením, jako bych zapomněl na řadu frustrujících prvků, kterými původní hra oplývala. Od remasterů, remaků a dalších předělávek ovšem čekáte, že dobové nedodělky zmizí a vše poběží bez sebemenších chybiček. Ne?

Již ve své době působil svět Beyond Good & Evil, tedy planeta Hillys a další prostředí, příjemným a originálním dojmem. To byl dost možná jeden z hlavních faktorů, který mě ke hře přikoval. I z dnešního pohledu si myslím, že hra nikoho neurazí jak po designové stránce, tak ani po té grafické. Nějaký zub času samozřejmě vidět jde, ale vše působí tak nějak nevinně, až roztomile. Co tak milého ale není je systém ovládání. Ten nebyl příliš komfortní ani v roce 2013 a ani v letošním remasteru, který oslavuje 20. narozeniny originálu se s tím vývojáři příliš nepopasovali. Systém je trochu svižnější, některé funkce jsou přemapované, ale jádro ovládání působí stále příliš komplikovaně a neintuitivně.

Kromě ovládání se pozornosti vývojářů dočkaly i další faktory, které mohou zpříjemnit hru novým hráčům. Kromě klasiky v podobě vylepšených textur jsme se dočkali dalších a podstatně důležitějších novinek. Zmínit musím automatické ukládání hry či možnost přeskakovat videa. Spíše bych ale ocenil zrychlení celého systému hry. Například takové vytahování foťáku a práce s ním je velmi zdlouhavá. A když si představíte, že jedním z vašich hlavních úkolů je vyfotit všechny živočišné druhy…

Pokud jste hru ještě nehráli, ale přemýšlíte nad tím, měli byste také vědět, že co do obtížnosti se jedná o vskutku oldschool záležitost. Tady vás nikdo nepovede za ručičku, nečekejte ani žádné ukazatele na mapě či dokonce masivní šipku uprostřed obrazovky ukazující správný směr. Budete bloudit, budete nadávat a vztekat se nad obtížnými hádankami. I to je ale součástí kouzla Beyond Good & Evil.

Ačkoliv měla tehdy hra nepříliš slavné prodeje, tak v očích některých věkem zkušenějších hráčů má status nedotknutelnosti. Nejen pro ně si vývojáři připravili bonusovou nabídku, která je přístupná hned po stažení hry, a to v kompletní podobě. Pokud si tak chcete dát svou denní dávku nostalgie, není potřeba hru dohrávat. Všechna videa, screenshoty, artworky a další umělecko-vývojářské poklady tu jsou všechny pohromadě. Bonusy se navíc netýkají jen původní hry, ale o svou lásku k IP se podělili i vývojáři letošního remasteru.

Beyond Good & Evil je bezesporu nedoceněným titulem, který letos dostává další šanci prorazit do hráčských srdcí. Jádro hry v podobě skvěle napsaných postav, nápaditého světa a originálním příběhem se trochu trápí s ovládáním a několika přežitými mechanikami. Obecně mi remastery moc po chuti nejsou a často raději sáhnu po originální verzi, ale Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition je jiný případ a moc mu fandím, aby se mu dařilo lépe, než jeho předchůdci. 

Vývojáři: Ubisoft

Vydavatelství: Ubisoft

Datum vydání: 25.6. 2024

Platformy: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch

Článek RECENZE: Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

We're just a few weeks away from the launch of developer Massive Entertainment and publisher Ubisoft's open-world action-adventure game Star Wars Outlaws. In a post on the official Ubisoft blog, the publisher outlined the post-release content roadmap for Outlaws, detailing what is to come in the Season Pass which includes two Story Packs, two Cosmetic Bundles, and a launch day exclusive mission and character pack.

Not so Far Far Away

Players who purchase the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition of Star Wars Outlaws will automatically get the Season Pass, which includes the Kessel Runner character pack featuring outfits for Kay Vess and her companion Nix, as well as an exclusive mission called Jabba's Gambit. The mission gives access to an additional quest from the notorious Jabba Hutt and his Hutt Cartel. Both of these are available when Star Wars Outlaws is released.

The first Story Pack, Wild Card, is set to release in Fall 2024. Players will infiltrate a high-stakes Sabacc tournament as Kay before encountering notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, before evolving into a bigger game at play. The Hunter's Legacy and Cartel Ronin cosmetic bundles will launch alongside this story pack, including additional outfits for Kay and Nix as well as cosmetics for Kay's speeder and ship.

In Spring 2025 the second Story Pack, A Pirate's Fortune, will follow Kay as he runs into veteran pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who is attempting to settle old scores with a ruthless gang of pirates.

Both of the Story Packs sound promising in terms of story, so hopefully the core gameplay of Star Wars Outlaws is enough to make the DLC feel worth exploring. We'll know for sure soon as Star Wars Outlaws is set to release on all platforms later this month on August 30.

The post Start Wars Outlaws Post-Launch Roadmap includes two Story Packs appeared first on Destructoid.

It barely feels like five minutes since the last one, but, somehow, Gamescom is almost upon us again. Which means publishers are starting to detail their plans for the show - and in Microsoft's case, we now know that'll include daily livestreams for those at home, plus over 50 playable games for anyone wandering the Koelnmesse's halls.

Attendees visiting Microsoft's Hall 7 Gamescom booth in person will find 50 games from Xbox Game Studios, Blizzard, Bethesda, and third-party partners, playable across 240 gaming stations. These include Age of Mythology: Retold, Ara: History Untold, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, Fallout 76: Milepost Zero, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road, and Towerborne.

Playable third-party games, meanwhile, include Star Wars Outlaws, Space Marine 2, and the long-awaited Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. A full list of games at the booth can be found here.

Read more

Last week, Ubisoft raised eyebrows when it issued a vaguely-worded apology for "some elements" in Assassin's Creed Shadows' promotional materials that had "caused concern" among some fans.

Fans widely attributed the statement as referring to the ongoing backlash towards the game's inclusion of historical figure Yasuke as a Black samurai and its dual protagonist. Moderators of the main Assassin's Creed reddit this week described the topic as a "tedious discussion" that Ubisoft's statement had only "exacerbated".

In contrast, Ubisoft creative director Julian Gerighty has now acknowledged online criticism of Star Wars Outlaws - specifically, the aesthetic appearance of main character Kay Vess - by stating that "bad-faith" debates are "not worth engaging with".

Read more

The Star Wars Outlaws team has devised a solution to that 'yellow paint' debate.

Many video game developers have introduced yellow paint into their games, as a way of signposting players where to go next. Not sure where to climb? Look for the yellow scuffs on the cliff side. If it's a building, maybe look out for a yellow drainpipe or window ledge. Resident Evil even features yellow locks for players to pick.

Needless to say, yellow paint - or indeed any brightly coloured marker - is a pretty common occurrence across the video game landscape. It is a useful accessibility tool for many players. And, this same paint-based path finder also features in Star Wars Outlaws. That is, unless you don't want it to.

Read more

Aside from a blue paint job and some migraine inducing Na'vi Senses, last year's movie tie-in, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora was a Far Cry game in all but name. It's a typical Ubisoft move to repurpose portions of an existing product that has already proven popular with their audience, but in the case of Avatar, the final result failed to set the metaphorical Home Tree on fire (sorry, too soon?).

I think part of why Avatar's players burnt out so quickly (sorry again), was that it was basically just Far Cry but made worse with the addition of a bunch of Avatar gubbins. In the case of Star Wars Outlaws however, Ubisoft hasn't just picked one singular game to rework. Here, its plucked all the best bits from across its biggest franchises and created this melting pot of familiar gameplay elements. These elements are instantly recognisable when you see them one-by-one, sure, but they all come together as a whole to create a proper Star Wars-y feeling adventure.

When our dashing Deputy Editor, Chris Tapsell went hands-on with Star Wars Outlaws in June, he came away underwhelmed by the dated gameplay he'd experienced during the trio of linear missions he'd been given to play. As if countering that preview with a big, 'well check this out then', Ubisoft invited me along to a four-hour preview session that featured a big chunk of open-world action instead, where player were let off the leash to explore as they saw fit.

Read more

The main Assassin's Creed reddit, subscribed to by more than 717,000 users, has taken a firm stance on the continuing backlash to Black samurai Yasuke protagonist in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

A post from the popular reddit's moderation team has drawn a line under the ongoing "'debate'" over whether the real-life figure of Yasuke was a samurai or not, and to what extent his depiction in Assassin's Creed Shadows will be historically accurate.

It's a matter Ubisoft appeared to wade into last week via a vaguely-worded statement that raised eyebrows after it apologised for "some elements" in the game's promotional materials it said had "caused concern" among some Japanese fans. Now, in a lengthy statement, the moderation team says Ubisoft's statement had "exacerbated" the matter further.

Read more

For those watching the Olympics opening ceremony last night, no, that was not your imagination – a familiar hooded Assassin did indeed appear to invade the rooftops of Paris last night.

Whilst it's hard to find footage given a trigger-happy copyright gremlin is striking down videos all over the place, there are still a number of images and video of a figure not unlike Assassin's Creed Unity's Arno carrying the Olympic torch for anyone who missed it:

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Title: The Crew 2
Type of Game: Arcade Racing
Developer: Ivory Tower
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: June 29, 2018
Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Game
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Level of Maturity: T (Teen)
Reading Time: 8 minutes

While the first installment in the 2015 racing series The Crew aimed to be a racing MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), the second installment, three years later, expands the possibilities of the huge world to include boats, planes, and a variety of disciplines. Once again, we’re driving around a smaller version of the United States, but all the big cities and most famous landmarks are on display, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Mount Rushmore monument with presidents carved into the rock. Although the developers haven’t admitted it, The Crew 2 is essentially a reboot of the original game.

And while everything didn’t turn out perfectly, it’s better in every way. While I wasn’t able to get into the first game, I played roughly forty hours in the second game for the platinum trophy, and I didn’t even use half of the game’s content. The game struck me from the start as somewhat related to the top-tier Forza Horizon series. Both games share an open game world and freedom, but here it’s a cheaper and lighter version. Forza Horizon can be described as a simcade, and as a result, strikes me as more of a “celebration of motoring” than the proclaimed tagline of The Crew 2.

Arcade Bliss: Playfulness at its Core

The Crew 2, on the other hand, is an arcade to the core, with not only a number of disciplines but also plenty of challenges such as slalom, escape, and traversing a speed trap at top speed, as well as my very favorite drifts, which I simply fell in love with. You can then instantly see how you are doing compared to players from all over the world. The Crew 2 is more playful in this regard, whether it’s just for fun randomly around the map or in the various ranked activities. Another strong point is the powerful photo mode, where you can view and edit the last few minutes. There are really a lot of options, from changing weather, time, and filters to exposure, transport, and more.

Diverse Disciplines and Endless Customization

All the activities in the game are hidden into four main Hubs: Street Racing, Offroad, Freestyle, and Pro Racing. There’s classic street racing, motocross, rallying, aerobatics, boat racing, formula racing, and monster trucks. Of course, not everything is accessible at the start; you unlock new disciplines and additional challenges as you play. The game’s storyline is quite modest and it’s all about you as a driver who gradually becomes a star, this aspect of the game is spiced up by gaining followers on social media. Not to worry though, it’s a completely traditional experience points, just named differently.

Followers are gained not only after completing a race, but also when performing various tricks, jumps, and other stunts while moving freely in the game world. Once you reach the Icon level, the entire game opens up before you, including advanced car customization options such as traction, ABS, brake balancing… if anyone was looking for something like that here. As far as car brands go, there really are a lot of options to choose from, and along with a decent engine and car sound system overall, there’s not too much to complain about.

A Jack of All Trades: The Game’s Strength and Weakness

Ironically, the broad scope of the game can also be seen as a barrier. While there are motorbikes and aerobatics in planes, if you’re only interested in street racing, for example, The Crew 2 isn’t for you. There’s a bit of everything in the game, but the discipline in question doesn’t logically stand in for a full game in that category. Of course, not all of the disciplines suited me 100% either, but I enjoyed most of them, so the progression through the game was smooth. So nothing will happen if you ignore two or three disciplines completely. I mostly enjoy the aforementioned drifting discipline or the regular bike races and off-road in the vast countryside, which includes adrenaline rushes through checkpoints, racing on and off the motocross track, and, relatively speaking, rallying.

Immersive Exploration: A Seamless Open World

Omitting the opening long loading (played on PS4), in free mode you can drive across the entire United States without a loading screen. Meanwhile, you can zoom in and out of the entire map smoothly, Google Maps style, which looks incredibly cool. The smaller villages and countryside look great, the cities feel a bit sterile and bland at times, but it’s enough for adrenaline rushes. The map also comes in handy when completing photo challenges. If you’re in the location of a landmark, near an animal or other points of interest, the game will offer you the chance to complete a challenge. Simply switch to photo mode, meet the conditions (for example, jump on a motorbike with a view of the moon), and press the camera shutter.

Smart Navigation and Customization

However, you can complete challenges in a targeted manner, which is what the great map is for. By the way, you don’t just have to find activities on the map. You can easily view all of them together through bookmarks directly from the menu and launch them right away. Or rather, the game will take you from the menu to the start of the event. You can then admire and, more importantly, modify your car fleet from your headquarters in Miami. Completing activities earns you random pieces of equipment, which you use to gradually upgrade your car fleet. For cars, this includes top speed, engine power, braking distance, etc. The new parts are triple quality. The moment you have sufficiently upgraded your car, you can start performing activities at a higher difficulty.

Growing Prestige: From Beginner to Icon

When you reach the Icon level, you also gain points to invest in various areas, such as replenishing your nitro faster or increasing your chances of getting better gear. The in-game economy is set up quite reasonably. While there is dual currency, it’s optional as with Forza Horizon 3, the game certainly didn’t push me into anything. I would also have welcomed more types of AI opponent behavior, which is currently set up in such a way that in normal races your opponents are constantly on your back and it’s relatively difficult to outrun them in the lower car classes. This wasn’t a problem in the supersport though. My last small complaint concerns inconsistent collisions: for some objects, the game is benevolent, for others, it stops you almost immediately. This mainly concerns cities, in the countryside I find the physics set up well.

Verdict: An Entertaining Mixed Bag

The Crew 2 is an arcade game to the very depths of the soul, allowing you to have pure fun in the open world in a lot of disciplines. While it presents itself as an online game, I enjoyed it solo with the occasional live player I met in the open world. There was certainly no compulsion for me to play co-op. It’s not a perfect game, but it has its charms. And despite my general distaste for Ubisoft titles, I had a lot of fun, and the game especially with its variety of content and freedom on a large and nicely crafted map won me over.

Where to Buy The Crew 2

Steam (PC): The standard edition is available for $49.99, as well as the special edition, priced at $59.99.
STEAM SPECIAL PROMOTION!: Buy The Crew 2 Special Edition 80% off for 11,99€ offer ends 4 August
Xbox Store (Xbox One): The standard edition is available for $49.99, as well as the special edition, priced at $59.99.
PlayStation Store (PS4): The standard edition is available for $49.99, as well as the special edition, priced at $59.99.
Epic Games Store (PC): Special edition available for $59.99. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.

Official Page: Visit the official The Crew 2 page for more information.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the The Crew 2 Subreddit.

The post The Crew 2 Multi-Discipline Motorsport Across The United States appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

Vzhledem k tomu, že se jedná o hru s otevřeným světem od Ubisoftu, dalo by se očekávat, že Star Wars Outlaws bude následovat velmi specifickou šablonu, která se pro tuto společnost stala v průběhu let synonymem (alespoň co se týče her s otevřeným světem), ale chystané vesmírné dobrodružství si chce vytvořit vlastní identitu.

Jeho tvůrci z Massive Entertainment již několikrát hovořili o tom, že se otevřený svět bude v některých klíčových ohledech lišit od typického zážitku Ubisoftu – ale co je tedy bližším referenčním bodem pro Star Wars Outlaws?

V rozhovoru pro GamesRadar se toho dotkl i kreativní ředitel Julian Gerighty, který na otázku o podobnosti Star Wars Outlaws s Red Dead Redemption 2 a jeho strukturou a mechanikami otevřeného světa prozradil, že „největší referencí“ pro hru byl ve skutečnosti Ghost of Tsushima od Sucker Punch, přičemž cílem Massive Entertainment bylo důkladně se ponořit do herního světa a jeho fantazie.

„Je to velmi zajímavé, protože mým největším vzorem byl film Duch Cušimy, který je spíše inspirací pro Kurosawu než pro western Johna Forda, který inspiroval George Lucase,“ řekl Gerighty. „Red Dead Redemption je fenomenální, [protože přistupuje] ke světu jako ke světu – ne jako k seznamu činností, které se často opakují. Ale myslím, že Ghost of Tsushima, to, co se mi na něm líbilo, byla ta čistota hráčské fantazie a skutečné opření se do ní. Je to příběh, svět, postava, všechno do sebe zapadá a hratelnost vše řídí. To je fantazie „jsi samurajský ninja v Japonsku“. To bylo jedním z vodítek pro tento projekt.“

Massive a Ubisoft samozřejmě označují Star Wars Outlaws za ultimátní fantasy o padouších z Hvězdných válek, takže není úplně překvapivé, že klíčovou filozofií designu otevřeného světa hry bylo hráče do této fantazie zcela vtáhnout. Zda se to podaří stejně dobře jako v případě Ghost of Tsushima, se teprve uvidí.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC. Zde si můžete prohlédnout požadavky na PC.

Článek Režisér říká, že „největším odkazem“ pro otevřený svět Star Wars Outlaws byla hra Ghost of Tsushima se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Do vydání hry Star Wars Outlaws zbývá už jen necelý měsíc a podrobnosti o ní přicházejí stále rychleji a Ubisoft nyní také prozradil, jaké specifikace bude PC verze tohoto titulu s otevřeným světem vyžadovat.

S laskavým svolením aktualizované stránky obchodu Ubisoftu byly odhaleny úplné požadavky hry na PC, přičemž budete potřebovat minimálně SSD disk (a 65 GB volného místa na SSD disku) bez ohledu na to, v jakém nastavení budete hrát. Všude je také potřeba 16 GB RAM.

Při minimálním nastavení, kdy hra poběží v rozlišení 1080p a 30 FPS, budete potřebovat buď Ryzen 5 3600, nebo i7-8700K, spolu s GeForce 1660 nebo RX 5600XT. Na druhou stranu, pro ultra nastavení, při kterém hru spustíte ve 4K a 60 FPS, budete potřebovat buď Ryzen 7 5800X3D, nebo i7-12700K spolu s GeForce RX 4800 nebo Radeon RX 7900 XTX.

Úplné systémové požadavky si můžete prohlédnout níže.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PC, PS5 a Xbox Series X/S. 

Článek Star Wars Outlaws PC požadavky odhaleny, vyžadováno SSD a 65 GB volného místa se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Massive Entertainment si dává záležet na tom, aby hra Star Wars Outlaws byla věrná značce, od zvukových efektů až po minihry jako Sabacc. Obsahuje však také speciální režim, který má kopírovat filmové zpracování klasiky.

Jak bylo odhaleno na blogu PlayStation Blog, ve hře Outlaws je k dispozici filmový režim 21:9, který nejenže poskytuje „širokoúhlý efekt“, ale také se podobá objektivům použitým při natáčení původní trilogie. Vzhledem k tomu, že se titul odehrává mezi filmy Impérium vrací úder a Návrat Jediho, dává replikace tohoto vzhledu smysl. Přesto se jedná o příjemný doplněk pro dlouholeté fanoušky série.

K dalším unikátním přídavkům patří režim průzkumníka, který vynechává všechny žluté barvy navádějící k žebříkům, římsám a podobně, a umožňuje tak organičtější plošinovku.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC.

Článek Star Wars Outlaws obsahuje speciální filmový režim, který kopíruje vzhled původní trilogie se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Ti, kteří chtějí zažít více organického průzkumu, budou mít možnost v nadcházejícím titulu Star Wars s otevřeným světem od Ubisoftu.

Není neobvyklé, že hry používají žlutou barvu na interaktivních objektech a prvcích prostředí jako navigační nástroj pro hráče, a přestože lze najít argumenty pro i proti její nezbytnosti, zdá se, že chystaná hra Star Wars Outlaws se pokusí poskytnout alespoň nějaké řešení pro ty, kteří ho hledají.

Jak informoval server PC Gamer, společnost Ubisoft potvrdila, že v režimu průzkumníka nadcházejícího titulu s otevřeným světem bude možné vypnout „naváděcí barvy na základních navigačních prvcích“ v prostředí. Režimy Explorer jsou v titulech s otevřeným světem od Ubisoftu nabízeny již několik let, přičemž hráči mají možnost zmírnit navádění poskytované hrami ve prospěch organičtějšího průzkumu, ačkoli možnosti Explorer v minulých hrách přepínač naváděcí žluté barvy neobsahovaly.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC.

Článek Režim průzkumníka ve hře Star Wars Outlaws ti umožní vypnout naváděcí žlutou barvu prostředí se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Vydání hry Star Wars Outlaws se blíží za něco málo přes měsíc a společnosti Ubisoft a Massive Entertainment pokračují ve zveřejňování nových informací o tomto titulu s otevřeným světem.

Aby nám Ubisoft nabídl další rozsáhlý pohled na hru a její mnohé pohyblivé části, odstartoval sérii videí ze zákulisí a první video z této série bylo sdíleno a odhaluje nové informace.

Video osvětluje hlavní hrdinku Kay Vess a hovoří o tom, kde ji najdeme na začátku hry a jak ji okolnosti zavedou k větším dobrodružstvím. V těchto dobrodružstvích se samozřejmě setká s řadou různých postav, včetně bojového droida ND-5, hlavního antagonisty Slira a dalších.

Objeví se také spousta známých padouchů z kánonu Star Wars, protože Kay se vypořádá s několika různými zločineckými syndikáty napříč galaxií, od Jabby Hutta po vůdkyni Karmínového úsvitu, Lady Qi’ra, která se poprvé představila ve filmu Solo: Star Wars Story, kde ji hrála Emilia Clarke. Jak již bylo dříve potvrzeno, ačkoli si postava ve hře zachová podobu Clarkeové, nebude ji hrát přímo ona.

Kromě známých skupin, jako je Huttský kartel, Pykeův syndikát a Karmínový úsvit, se ve hře Star Wars Outlaws objeví také zcela nová frakce v podobě klanu Ashiga. Klan Ashiga, jehož členové patří výhradně k druhu Melitto a který se podobá úlu, najdete na planetě Kijimi.

Video se také věnuje systému reputace ve hře Star Wars Outlaws, který bude hrát klíčovou roli a bude určovat Kayino postavení u mnoha různých frakcí podsvětí, s nimiž se bude v průběhu hry potýkat. Podrobnosti o tom všem a další informace najdete ve videu níže.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC. Nedávno Ubisoft také odhalil podrobnosti o vesmírné hře a kompletní sadě možností zpřístupnění.

Článek Video ze zákulisí Star Wars Outlaws přináší podrobnosti o postavách, zločineckých syndikátech a dalších věcech se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Kreativní ředitel Julian Gerighty slibuje „spoustu práce. Jsou tu tajemství, která je třeba objevit. Je tu objevování. Můžete vyhledávat příležitosti.“

Společnost Massive Entertainment toho o planetách ve hře Star Wars Outlaws a aktivitách na nich (včetně emergentních událostí) řekla už hodně, ale co vesmír? Zatím jsme viděli, jak na lodě Pyke útočí piráti a hráči jim mohou pomáhat výměnou za zlepšení postavení u Syndikátu. Kreativní ředitel Julian Gerighty však slíbil mnohem víc.

V rozhovoru pro IGN Gerighty prozradil: „Čeká nás toho hodně. Jsou tu tajemství, která je třeba objevit. Je tu objevování. Můžete vyhledávat příležitosti. A samozřejmě budou probíhat události v živém světě nebo „události v živém prostoru“.“ Můžete narazit na Impérium, které kontroluje pašeráckou loď nebo vrak lodi vysílající nouzové sygnály (což může být past).

Hráči budou také prozkoumávat vesmírné stanice a hledat příležitosti podobně jako ve městech: „Bude tam kantýna, bude tam bar, budou tam lidé, se kterými se dá mluvit, budou tam příležitosti, budou tam stoly Sabacc, budou tam tajemství, bude tam průzkum.“ Něco z toho bylo spatřeno během odhalení gameplaye Ubisoft Forward.

Zda vesmírné aktivity zahrnují více než jen intervenci nebo vesmírné bitvy, se teprve uvidí. Zatím se zdá, že poslední hranice nabízí víc než jen prostou oblast, kterou hráči projdou před přistáním na planetách.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro konzole Xbox Series X/S, PS5 a PC.

Článek Star Wars Outlaws – události Living Space a vesmírné stanice dostávají nové podrobnosti se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.