PUBG Still Working to Bring More Stable Gameplay to Xbox One

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds left Xbox Game Preview back in September with high expectations, as the game is now labeled ‘PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS Full Product Release.’ A full product release assumes that the popular battle royale title will have an better optimized framerate, less goofy controls, and more responsive game engine, but seeing the official game release, it still struggles to achieve these hopes from fans of the game. On Reddit, PUBG Corp Community Manager Lumos made a statement responding to a fan’s question, stating that the studio is still working to bring a more stable performance to the full version of the game for Microsoft’s platform. Answering a fan about unlocking the game’s framerate, Lumos states: “The ultimate goal is to achieve a stable 60fps, and we’ll continue to optimize to achieve that goal. At the moment we are not intending to ‘unlock’ the framerate, we’ll need to implement these graphical options first and iterate upon them to see if that would be possible in the future.” As the game currently underperforms on Xbox One X compared to it’s PC counterpart, this performance update will definitely assist the game with the current problem it faces. It was also made clear that the update will also feature options to change your resolution output to help the game’s framerate. Since the idea of 60 frames per second is on the table, the idea of unlocking the framerate for the game isn’t completely out of the question, as the studio would like to achieve the more stable 60 fps before pursuing the uncapped mechanic. With the upcoming update, PUBG Corp is aiming to bring a stable 30 frames per second that the current game lacks. Once that is reached, the developer will start working on the more anticipated 60 FPS feature following. Now that the feature is in discussion, fans have a more stable game to look forward to, as the title desperately needs it. In other PUBG-related news, it seems the title is set to come to PlayStation 4 pretty soon. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is available now for Xbox One and PC. Source: Reddit

X018: February Release Slated For Crackdown 3

The long awaited first party exclusive Crackdown 3 has been continuously delayed for the past few years, but Microsoft is confident to announce that the title will be shipping out this February. In celebration of the newly announced release date, Microsoft has announced the first Crackdown will be available for free from November 10 until November 30 via backwards compatibility. The 2007 title will also feature enhanced support for those who prefer a more glowing experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90bS4Ngjgcs During the Inside Xbox stream of X018, Microsoft reveled the new Wrecking Zone game mode that will be coming to the third installment of the Crackdown series. Putting two teams of four with the objective to take out the opposing team with as much destructive creativity possible. With the feature of 100% levolution throughout the game’s city, the new game type will work well for those who like to see catastrophic detail. Xbox Game Pass owners will automatically be able to join in on the fun, as the approaching title will be available through the subscription service on launch day. Crackdown 3 will be coming on February 15, 2018 for Xbox One and Windows 10. Source: Microsoft

THQ Nordic Acquires Two More Studios: Bugbear Entertainment & Coffee Stain Studios

It seems that Vienna-based THQ Nordic still hasn’t let up on acquiring new studios under the long list in their portfolio. This time the studio has bought both Goat Simulator Developer Coffee Stain Studios and Wreckfest creator Bugbear Entertainment. The owner of Saints Row, Dead Island, Metro, and countless other titles has made a blog post on the new acquisitions. Mentioning that the company already had publishing rights for the game, they now have complete ownership of the entire studio for the game now. THQ Nordic acquires “Wreckfest”-developer Bugbear Entertainment (We'll do whatever it takes to bring that game to consoles.)https://t.co/nHm1kZ9UyP pic.twitter.com/wAAcnPOYPH — THQ Nordic 🔜 gamescom 2024 (@THQNordic) November 14, 2018 Another interesting pickup is Coffee Stain Studios, primarily known for their goofy and ironically glitchy goat-focused game Goat Simulator with a handful of expansions. Another title the studio is known for crafting is the upcoming Deep Rock Galactic that will be coming to Xbox One & Windows 10 next year. As the publisher continues to expand their array of differing titles to publish in the next few years, it might not be surprising if we see a few more acquisitions in the near future once again. The next major title on the way from THQ Nordic is the Darksider III, which will be coming later this month for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Source: THQ Nordic

Rumor: Smite On The Way To The Switch With Crossplay Support

After its debut on PC, Smite’s rise to popularity expanded to other platforms like Xbox and PlayStation, and now it seems that the MOBA will be on its way to Nintendo Switch. According to dataminers for the game, they have discovered in the latest update that a new pack referencing the Nintendo Switch was hidden in the new update. The “Switch Founder’s Pack” only continues to support the previous rumors suggesting that Hi-Rez’s title will be coming to Nintendo’s platform. As Paladins is already on the Nintendo eShop, it was expected that we will eventually see the MOBA make its way over. With the first/third person shooter having crossplay support between Xbox One and Nintendo, it’s safe to say that Smite will get the same treatment whenever the game launches on Switch. Hi-Rez has previously spoke with Sony about introducing crossplay to Smite for both Xbox and PlayStation 4, but the chances of seeing that is pretty narrow considering how long fans waited for Fortnite to have the feature added to the battle royale. Smite is available now for Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4. Source: Smite Datamining  

Five Nights At Freddy’s Still On Its Way To Console; More Movie Details

The 2014 title that later spawned an empire with three sequels, a spin-off title, a toy line, and even an film adaptation has been pretty quiet as of late with what else is to come for the franchise. But recently, Five Nights At Freddy’s Creator Scott Cawthon made a post detailing what’s next for the series. Throughout his Steam blog post, Cawthon tells about the delay for the upcoming featured film due to disliking the script. While conflicting with the screenplay for the film, Cawthon is still eager to create the right script, stating: “Either the right movie gets made or no movie gets made.” Also in the blog post is the announcement that the film will take place during the first three titles in the series, confirming that any games following will not be included in the film’s world. Cawthon also goes into detail with every title that’s in the making. One that stood out is an ‘AAA game’, which is at 0%. Though he couldn’t reveal what studio or what the title will focus around, he did mention that the game will have a big budget backing the unannounced title. Among the future projects listed, Cawthon announced that console versions are being worked by Clickteam to bring previous unnamed titles to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. On top of everything already mentioned above, the last reveal for the FNAF universe is a new book series on the way with a new partnership with Scholactic. Planning to launch with five books, the new series will be different from previous publications, as they will focus on short stories set in the game’s world. Five Nights at Freddy’s 1 – 4 & Sister Location is available for PC. Source: Scott Cawthon

75% Of DLC For Final Fantasy XV Cancelled Following Director Resigning

In the most recent stream for Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV, fans were expected to get an update on the upcoming content for the 2016 title, but instead were faced with the sudden resignation of game director Hajime Tabata. The game already has the announced four episodes for additional content, but up to 75% of any upcoming or unannounced DLC for the title has been cancelled. Tabata made an statement on the stream regarding him resigning from Square Enix: “Today, I have a personal announcement to make to all of you. I, Hajime Tabata, will be resigning from Luminous Productions and the Square Enix Group as of October 31, 2018.” Throughout his statement, Tabata reflected back on the progress made from FFXV and thanked the community that stayed after the launch two years ago. “I was able to gain so much experience with my time at Square Enix. Every time I was able to be a part of means a lot to me. However, FFXV stood out from that group as it was a special project for me which I went all-in. Therefore, I decided to take this opportunity to officially announce my departure from FFXV to all the fans who have supported the title across from the globe”..” Looking ahead from his resigning from Square Enix, Tabata announced that any DLC coming after Episode Ardyn will be scrapped. “In regards to my next endeavors and near future, I have a project that I truly wish to solidify as my next challenge after FFXV. For that reason, I have decided to leave my current position and start my own business in order to achieve my goal. As production of Episode Ardyn continues and Luminous Productions works on new projects, I felt it was time for me to hand over the torch to the next generation group of talented and trustworthy colleagues and believe that they will create something amazing. From this day on, I will cheer and support Square Enix and Luminous Productions together with all you fans.” This sudden announcement took many by surprise considering the success FFXV made since it released. Tabata was expected to be represent Final Fantasy like predecessor Hironobu Sakaguchi, but now with his announced leave from Square Enix and Luminous Productions, it’s unsure what’s next for the series and the upcoming projects from the new studio. Final Fantasy XV is available now Fox Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4.

Second Chapter For Marvel’s Spider-Man DLC Revealed

Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man has been receiving updates of content since its initial release, such as the New Game Plus Mode & Ultimate Difficulty Mode. Along with the first DLC for The City That Never Sleeps series, the second chapter out of three has been revealed. In a new post, Insomniac revealed that Hammerhead will be making his way into New York City. Turf Wars has the long time antagonist go to war against crime heads of the Maggia. Spider-Man, along with Yuri Watanabe, will have to team up to take Hammerhead down. Included with the new campaign content are three new suits for Spider-Man: Iron Spider armor Spider-Armor MKI Spider-Clan Marvel’s Spider-Man is available now for PlayStation 4. Source: PlayStation Blog

Ashe Officially Playable On Overwatch

Back at the beginning of the month Blizzard revealed the newest character to be added to the game’s roster, Ashe, with her sidekick B.O.B. Just a few days back Blizzard pushed the 29th character from playtesting into the wild for everyone to try her out on all platforms available. With the new hero joining the game, a new patch rolled out with new changes being added. Symmetra, Mercy, Reaper, and Roadhog all received buffs to balance out the gameplay during matchmaking. Previously, Blizzard revealed that the upcoming patch for the game on PC will require players to redownload the entire game. Overwatch is currently available for Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Comes To PlayStation 4 Next Month

Fatshark’s Warhammer: Vermintide 2 has already made it over to Xbox One not too long ago, and the PlayStation 4 version of the fantasy action title has been in development for sometime now. Recently developer Fatshark has revealed that the port will be coming at the middle of December. As part of the announcement, the Swedish studio has revealed that there will be an closed beta for the upcoming port which is now live. If you are interested in joining the fun, fans can sign up on the game’s website. Along with the title’s release date reveal, Fatshark debuted the Ultimate Edition of the game which will include: Instant access to the closed beta 4-days early access to the game Sigmar Keep Statue Helmgart Heraldy Themed Skins 2x Portrait Frame 6x Exclusive Heroic Deeds Shadows of Bogenhafen & Back to Ubersreik DLCs Warhammer: Vermintide 2 will be available for PlayStation 4 on December 18, 2018. Source: Fatshark

Game Review: Call of Cthulhu

Fear of the unknown manifests in many forms, some of it founded, some of it unfounded. As consumers, fear of the unknown is commonly manifest in not knowing for ourselves if what we’re buying into is worth our time and resources, video games included. With cosmic horror at a new peak popularity in recent years, it was only natural that we’d get some video games along the way. With this in mind how does Cyanide Studio’s Call of Cthulhu stack up? Based on the increasingly-popular fictional universe founded by H.P. Lovecraft and his story of the same name, Call of Cthulhu (2018) is a first-person linear RPG where you take up the mantle of Edward Pierce, a WWI veteran and private detective at the end of his rope as he dives deep on his alcoholism and sleeping pills to push through his own mental struggles. It’s at this point the game begins as you are given a big break when circumstance lands you the investigation that is the game’s story, the death of one Sarah Hawkins under fishy circumstances (ba-dum-tish). If you’ve been exposed to Lovecraftian media at any one point in your life, you will no doubt be able to gather the beats of the story and events unfolding before they actually happen, but regardless of that, the story holds up as a rather simple dive into the cosmic horror that we’ve come to know and love over the years. There are twists and turns over the 9 hour story that even caught a fan of cosmic horror like myself off guard at times which really got my attention held for the entirety of the campaign. The dialogue really pulls you into the atmosphere swirling about the island of Darkwater and sets a damp, unsettling tone for your time throughout the game. As far as the gameplay goes, there’s primarily investigation of your environments and simple puzzles based on your gameplay stats. You have a true “character sheet” in game ala the Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPG which ties directly into dialogue options and available solutions to puzzles throughout the game. I went through 2 full playthroughs of the game, my first focusing on the “spot hidden” and “investigation” skills for exploration, the second playthrough focusing on “Strength” and “eloquence” for dialogue and changing up my paths through levels. I can vouch that these skills truly come handy throughout your time in the game and change the means by which you progress, which leads to some replayability, but ultimately not enough for more than 2 in my experience. As you progress through the story, new gameplay elements are added including more puzzle-solving and sanity-testing encounters which can, at-times, remind you of games like Frictional Games’ Soma and Amnesia: the Dark Descent. Trying to avoid contact with the horrors you’re faced down with, but alternate to a simple type of “combat” in a late-game chapter (avoiding spoilers). The puzzle-solving always feels mildly clever enough to amuse and the sanity portions aren’t the framework of the game, but a part of it which leads to brief tension but not overwhelming amounts. The odd-man out here is the “combat” which isn’t explicitly bad but feels out-of-place. Thankfully this segment is short and sweet and you go right back to the elements that work in favor of the game. As for the elements that do* work, the dialogue is very well done for the majority of the game, with people echoing their dreary environments and pushing their personalities forward, but the characters that fill environments have less depth and will often repeat lines you’ve heard dozens of times as you pass them by while you’re combing an area for clues to progress. This compounds if you manage to get turned around or confused about where you need to go or what you need to do which is a struggle at times in the game, but not always. There are almost always clues hidden about environments that “clue” you in about where you should look or what you should do next, so paying attention to what you’re given is paramount to avoiding this pitfall the game unfortunately deals with. I say this is “almost always” as when it rears its ugly head, it leads to particularly frustrating segments at times. Without going into spoilers, there is a harrowing encounter midway through the story which leads to instant death if you fail and restarting at a decently generous checkpoint around the beginning of the encounter. Unless you go into this point of the title knowing that you need to find an environmental weapon to help you survive, this segment will lead to a number of frustrating and pointless-feeling checkpoint visits/deaths. This couples with some of the muddy-looking textures and graphics which don’t quite hold their ground all the way through the game. At times, textures don’t quite load in as you encounter them, particularly with unnatural environments or organic sea-life. In the 2018 market of games which have particularly high-fidelity graphics, this doesn’t quite hold up to some of the triple-A graphic benchmarks but you will notice texture loading issues throughout the game. Ultimately, Call of Cthulhu stumbles across the finish line, but It crosses nonetheless with a rather enjoyable showing. The story is a highlight, even if elements are predictable for those familiar with cosmic horror and its tropes and going through the game more than once is only for those truly dedicated to see how the options available to you as a player can change in the nitty-gritty. If there was just another coat of polish put on, this title would absolutely receive more praise than it’s currently getting. As someone who has a hardcover copy of the necronomicon on my shelf at home, I can say I enjoyed this game enough to play it twice. If you haven’t delved into the mythos yourself but you like an atmospheric, ominous story and setting, I imagine you will too.