Today at the Oculus Connect 4 event, Facebook detailed two new virtual reality headsets. First, it revealed a standalone VR headset called Oculus Go. It doesn’t require a PC or smartphone to work since hardware is built into the headset itself. On top of cutting the cord and and hardware requirement, the Oculus Go will carry a $200 price tag. Development kits will be sent out in November, but Oculus Go is said to release in early 2018.
Oculus Go shares many of the same functionalities as the Samsung Gear VR, which is also developed by Oculus. Gear VR apps will be compatible with Oculus Go from day one and uses the same controller.
As for hardware specs, the details are currently a little sparse, but it uses improved lenses. It features WQHD fast-switch displays with reduced glare and the same field of view as Rift. Spatial audio is also built into the Oculus Go headset; there’s no requirement for headphones.
The second reveal was an update to Project Santa Cruz, which is a wireless Oculus VR headset with built-in cameras for positional tracking, eliminating the need for external sensors. Along with the new Santa Cruz controllers–which look very similar to the Touch controllers–the new headset will feature full six-degrees of freedom movement. Development kits are said to be available within a year.
If you have a Nintendo Switch, odds are that you want a version of every game to come to the platform. We’ve already seen some traditional 2D fighting games released for it, but those have primarily come in the form of older titles like Street Fighter II and Neo Geo classics. We spoke with NetherRealm Studios creative director Ed Boon at the Brazil Game Show, and he was enthusiastic about the prospect of bringing Injustice 2 or future games to the system.
According to Boon, it would be possible to get Injustice 2 running on the system–though he suggested that there could be some shortcomings (presumably in terms of fidelity). “Yeah, I think at the end of the day you can make almost any game… there are inevitable compromises, but you know, you can make some version of Injustice on the Atari 2600,” he told GameSpot. “It’s not going to be great, but I bet you can make something.”
Speaking more generally about the idea of developing games for Switch, Boon seemed optimistic. That said, the technical challenges could see NetherRealm turn to an outside studio to handle the process.
“Yeah, actually, I do,” he said when asked if he has interest in exploring Switch games. “It is a pretty different hardware architecture; it’s not like you can go from a PlayStation 4 to a Switch really easily. So I think we would need to set up something in terms of an external team. I know on the art team, we have enough people to do three console SKUs, and that would be something we’d need to work out.
“From the game player’s perspective, would it be fun to play Injustice on [Switch]? I do think it would,” he said. “You could have tournaments, everyone comes over with their own system and you can have whole structured tournaments and parallel gameplay and all that.”
Earlier this year, Boon seemingly teased the possibility of a Switch version of Injustice 2. On Twitter, he posted a poll asking whether fans would rather see a Switch or Vita version, with the Nintendo console winning out. No official announcements have been made, but with support for the game continuing, it’s not hard to imagine seeing a port eventually–perhaps that includes all of the DLC characters.
We recently had a chance to play the Star Wars Battlefront II beta, which means we got our hands on all the weapons. Check them out in the video above.
The first Battlefront had bland weapons with very little personality. Developer DICE has stated that it wants to add a lot more depth to Battlefront 2, and this montage shows how that extends to the gunplay–and how they behave differently this time around.
The video above features several guns per class: a Clone weapon, a Droid weapon, and a shared unlockable weapon. There is also a special weapon that the class shares.
Star Wars Battlefront II launches on November 17 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Though much of the actual game was overshadowed by the glaring microtransaction issues in the beta, we were impressed with some of what we played.
While it’s always positive news when games that might easily remain exclusive to Japan are localized for international markets, fans rightly expect the accompanying translation to not be plagued with issues. That unfortunately hasn’t proven to be the case with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, which debuted last month in North America and Europe following its 2016 release in Japan. The president of NIS America, which published the game outside of Japan and handled the translation, has now acknowledged and apologized for the English script’s problems.
We made note of the mediocre translation in our Ys VIII review, and fans have continued to point out problems with it since then. Some of the errors are downright hilarious, as evidenced by the screenshots from Imgur below–“Big Hole” is just an incredible name for something. But in other cases, this could actually have a real impact on gameplay, as one Twitter user reported that item descriptions were mixed up–thus confusing what effect using them would have. Perhaps worse yet, fans raised concerns about the translation ahead of the game’s release.
NIS America has not shied away from the problems. “It has come to my attention that the quality of the Ys VIII localization has not reached an acceptable level by our own standards, but most importantly by yours,” president and CEO Takuro Yamashita said in a statement received by GameSpot. “As president of NIS America, Inc. I want to apologize to you personally for this grave error. This situation should not have happened– especially to a game as wonderful as Ys VIII and by a company that strives to deliver the very best customer experience in each title.”
In addition to the apology, Yamashita said that NIS will figure out how this happened and fix the game in the near future. “We have begun internally to investigate the causes of this situation as well as to implement steps to ensure that a similar situation does not occur again,” he said. “As for Ys VIII itself, we will have a new translator and editor go over the entire localization to fix grammatical errors, typos, inconsistencies, and also to take a fresh look at the dialog and characterizations. For the script, where necessary, we will re-translate and re-edit the game including updating voicework to reflect these changes.”
For an RPG with a good amount of text, that’s no simple task, and it will take some time. NIS expects to have the matter resolved by the end of November. The new localization will be released as a free update on PS4 and Vita, and it will be available in the PC version (which does not yet have a release date) once it launches on Steam.
“We humbly request your patience in this process,” the statement concludes. “Again, as the president and CEO of NIS America, Inc, I deeply apologize and vow to you that we will bring the quality of the localization of Ys VIII up to the high standards that it and you deserve. Please allow us this opportunity to restore your faith in NIS America.”
If you play Nintendo Switch games online, your usual gaming schedule may be disrupted this week. Nintendo is performing maintenance on its online services, which may become unavailable.
The first batch of maintenance concerns Splatoon 2 specifically. Nintendo says “all network services” in the game will be unavailable for around 90 minutes from 5:50 PM PT / 8:50 PM ET tonight–that’s 1:50 AM BST or 10:50 AET on Wednesday, October 11 if you’re in the UK or Australia. Online play of some other games will be affected for the same period of time. More maintenance will follow later in the week; check out the full schedule below.
Although Nintendo doesn’t specify which other games could be affected by the maintenance, it’s safer not to expect service in online games such as Arms and FIFA 18. The former is getting a new update–and probably a new character–soon, while the latter came out just recently to a mixed reception.
Ubisoft has finally revealed its plans for Assassin’s Creed Origins‘ post-launch content. The game will receive two major expansions after its October release date, in addition to a number of smaller add-ons, some of which will be free.
The two main DLC packs are called The Hidden Ones and The Curse of the Pharaohs. The former will launch in January 2018 and is set many years after the base game as you clash with the Romans in a new region. The latter, meanwhile, will introduce a “a new, mystical realm” in which you’ll encounter “beasts such as Anubis warriors, scorpios, and more” as you investigate the curse that has resurrected dead Pharaohs. The Curse of the Pharaohs launches in March next year.
The two story expansions are included in Assassin’s Creed Origins’ season pass, which costs $40 in the US (international pricing has yet to be announced). That also bags you two smaller add-ons–each containing new outfits and weapons–as well as 500 in-game credits and an exclusive weapon. Check out everything included in the season pass at the bottom of this article, via Ubisoft.
Origins’ Gold Edition and Steelbook Edition contain the season pass for no extra cost, though many of the game’s other special editions do not include all added content. For more, check out our breakdown of all six Assassin’s Creed special editions. Separate from the season pass, Assassin’s Creed Origins will receive an array of free content, including a Photo Mode, an Educational Mode, and a Horde Mode that sees players “fight endless waves of enemies in the Gladiator Arena.”
DLC 1 – The Hidden Ones: This story-driven expansion builds upon the growth of the Brotherhood, taking players years after the events of Assassin’s Creed Origins as they clash with an occupying Roman force in a new region. This expansion will extend the level cap, allowing players to keep on making their character progress. Available in January 2018.
DLC 2 – The Curse of the Pharaohs: In this story-driven expansion focusing on Egyptian mythology, players will fight against undead pharaohs and explore a new, mystical realm. During their journey, players will encounter famed Egyptian beasts such as Anubis warriors, scorpios and more, as they investigate the cause of the curse that has brought the dead pharaohs back to life. The Curse of the Pharaohs will increase the level cap further and introduce brand new Abilities. Available in March 2018.
The Roman Centurion and Horus Packs: Two exclusive add-on packs including a new outfit, weapons, shield and mount. Available in November 2017.
A package of 500 Helix Credits: Available at the launch of the game.
An exclusive rare weapon: the Calamity Blade. Available at the launch of the game.
Assassin’s Creed Origins Free DLC
The Trials of the Gods: Epic boss battles against Egyptian gods that take place during special timed events, victorious players will receive prestigious rewards. The first Trial of the Gods event will be available 15 days after the launch of the game.
The Nomad’s Bazaar: A wandering merchant gives players daily quests to complete in order to earn mysterious exotic rewards. Available at the launch of the game.
Photo Mode: Players will be able to capture and share the beauty of the Egyptian landscape and indulge their inner wildlife photographer while discovering in-game pictures taken by other players. Available at the launch of the game.
Horde Mode: Players will fight endless waves of enemies in the Gladiator Arena. They will be able to compare their scores with their friends and challenge them asynchronously. Available in early 2018.
Discovery Tour: This new educational mode turns the world of Assassin’s Creed Origins into a combat-free living museum and will give everyone the opportunity to learn more about Ancient Egypt through guided tours curated by historians and Egyptologists. Available early 2018.
Those looking to fill the gaping, Dark Souls-shaped hole in their lives have been keeping a close eye on Bandai Namco’s Code Vein. Dubbed “anime Dark Souls” by many, it draws heavy influence from From Software’s acclaimed Souls series, most notably in its difficulty. Check out the Code Vein Tokyo Game Show trailer if you want to see how it’s also borrowing some of the mood and feel too.
GameSpot recently got some hands-on time with the English build of Code Vein, which is similar to the one shown at Tokyo Game Show but features a little extra time to explore and the opportunity to face a boss. Of course, we captured our experience for your viewing pleasure.
We weren’t given an indication of how far into the game the section we were exploring was, but with the suite of powers, gifts, and equipment, I get the feeling that it’s not the start of the game. The above gameplay has a few deaths and backtracking edited out, so enjoy 13 minutes of uninterrupted monster killing.
The fearsome Queen’s Knight boss, as you’ve no doubt gathered, can be quite tricky. However, I managed to bring her down–albeit on my eighth attempt. Since the Queen’s Knight is very aggressive, I opted to use my buffs and saved as many healing items as I could before stepping into the fray. Check out the fight below.
We’ll have more from Code Vein soon, so if you’ve enjoyed what you’ve seen so far then make sure you keep your eye on GameSpot for more coverage.
Code Vein is slated to release in early 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. We recently learned that it will not have an easier difficulty setting; instead, players will be able to freely change their character’s stats during the course of the game to adapt to new challenges.
The money-to-time ratio isn’t the only way you can judge if a game is worth your hard-earned cash, but it’s certainly an important one. And the latest Humble Bundle is all about maximizing the bang for your buck–it features a bunch of games that’ll take up a lot of your time.
The Humble Endless RPG Lands Bundle features some great games like Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and Guild of Dungeoneering. Additionally, as with all Humble Bundles, they’re heavily discounted–you can pay what you want and receive at least one game. You can unlock more games if you pay more and cross higher tiers.
Notably, with this Humble Bundle, the average playtimes for each game are listed, as well. This way, you can get a good idea of how much time you can expect to invest in the titles. Borderlands players, for example, average about 30 hours played, while Wurm Unlimited players log an outrageous 142 hours on average.
As with all Humble Bundles, you can allocate some of your payment to charity. This bundle’s featured charity is the National Videogame Museum. The bundle is available from now until Otober 24. You can see the full breakdown of everything that’s included below, and you can buy the bundle here.
Pay $1 or more
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Director’s Cut (and its soundtracks)
The original Mortal Kombat launched on October 8, 1992, meaning the fighting game series is now 25 years old. One of the franchise’s trademark elements is the Fatality feature. It’s an over-the-top finishing move that, with today’s graphics, can make things like heads popping off and spines getting ripped out, look so extreme and brutal that it’s sometimes hard to watch.
We’ve put together a new video that shows off how some of the franchise’s original Fatalities have evolved over the years. As you’ll see, they’ve come a long way. You can check out the video embedded above.
NetherRealm is also of course celebrating 25 years of Mortal Kombat. The studio put out a celebratory video featuring series creator Ed Boon and others–watch it here. In other news, toy company Funko announced a line of Mortal Kombat Pop Vinyl figures for characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpio, along with Raiden, Kitana, Liu Kang, and Goro.
What’s your favourite Fatality? Let us know in the comments below!
The latest Destiny 2 event, Iron Banner, is live now in the Crucible. The event returns from the original Destiny, offering exclusive armor and gear if you earn enough Tokens.
Things have changed a little since the first game, however. As with all Crucible modes, matches are now 4v4 rather than 6v6. In addition, Iron Banner is now entirely about skill; Power levels are not taken into account, as Light levels were previously. “Your fighting abilities, not your power levels, will decide the outcome,” developer Bungie says.
You can access the Iron Banner by visiting Lord Saladin in the Tower. That task itself requires that you complete the campaign, as the Tower is inaccessible until you’ve done so. Once you’ve spoken with Saladin, Iron Banner is entered through its own Crucible playlist–which features Quickplay modes and matchmaking–and you can play as a Fireteam or dive in solo.
Another event, the Leviathan Prestige Raid, was due to go live today, but that has now been delayed until Wednesday, October 18. Bungie said: “An exploit has been discovered in the Leviathan Raid that causes the encounters to be stripped of their intended challenge. To allow time to fix this issue, we are delaying the start of the Prestige Raid until next week. It’s important to us that the team who earns World First status doesn’t have their legacy tarnished by doubt, skepticism, or uncertainty.” However, the release of Destiny 2’s new map, Distant Shore, went ahead as planned and it’s live now.
