Category: Gamespot

Worms W.M.D. will be available for Nintendo Switch “later this year,” developer and publisher Team17 has announced. The game originally launched for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC in August 2016 and the upcoming Switch version includes the updates made available post-launch.

The Switch release will also include the existing Forts Mode, as well as a new space theme, mushroom and tree forts. There will also be three new outfits and gravestones, among other fresh customisation options. According to Team17, Worms W.M.D. on Switch will support single Joy-Con play, local, and online multiplayer.

On August 31, Nintendo revealed a number of new indie games for Switch during an event it called the “Nindies Summer Showcase.” There were a few high-profile announcements, including the Super Meat Boy sequel, Super Meat Boy Forever, Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition, and a brand-new No More Heroes game titled Travis Strikes Again.

You can watch the trailers for biggest new Nintendo Switch indie announcements from the event here. For those looking for something a bit meatier, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is available now and it earned a 9/10 in GameSpot’s Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle review.

“Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle exudes off-beat optimism that never dissolves,” said critic Ed Tran. “It’s a consistent delight, no matter how challenging the road becomes, because Kingdom Battle’s unique turn-based tactics system is in every way a pleasure to engage with.

“Coupled with the annoyingly infectious allure of Rabbids, and the always delightful, colorful world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an implausibly engrossing formula that is positively challenging and endlessly charming.”

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We finally know when Battlefield 1‘s new expansion is coming out. In the Name of the Tsar’s release date has been revealed as September 19, though Premium Pass members will get two weeks’ early access starting September 5.

Publisher EA is calling In the Name of the Tsar Battlefield 1’s “most extensive expansion yet.” It costs US $15 / £12 / AU $25 (or US $50 / £40 / AU $70 as part of the Premium Pass) and includes six maps, a new mode, and more.

One of the maps, Lupkow Pass, is already out for people who own the Premium Pass. The others are: Albion, Galicia, Brusilov Keep, Tsaritsyn (which you can see the first gameplay of in the video above), and Volga River. Developer DICE’s descriptions, courtesy of the PlayStation Blog, can be found at the bottom of this article.

The new mode, meanwhile, is called Supply Drop. It’s set on the Eastern Front and sees teams compete to recover airdrops that provide them with additional weaponry. New Operations are also included with the expansion, such as the Brusilov Offensive, while more medals, dog tags, and service stars will be added, too.

Following In the Name of the Tsar’s release, an Operations update will follow in October, with a standard update coming after that in November. December brings the third expansion, the “amphibious warfare”-centric Turning Tides. The fourth DLC pack, Apocalypse, focuses on “the most infamous battles” of World War I and launches in early 2018. If you haven’t already purchased the game, EA recently announced and released Battlefield 1’s Revolution edition, which packages the game together with its Premium Pass for US $60 / £55 / AU $90. Alternatively, the shooter is now available for free with EA/Origin Access on Xbox One/PC.

Battlefield 1 In the Name of the Tsar Maps

Lupkow Pass: The vertical fights are as bitter as the cold as you fight amid snow-covered ravines and treacherous mountains. The first map of Battlefield 1 In the Name of the Tsar, Lupkow Pass pits the Austro-Hungarian forces against the dug-in troops of the Russian Imperial Army. With narrow passes and gorges constantly limiting your sightlines, adapting your tactics is key. You’ll want to gain altitude and get a vantage point on the enemy to help secure the win – but an Armored Train may just change the outcome of the battle.

Albion: Partake in the skirmishes of the Albion assault in this massive invasion of the Baltic peninsula, as the German Empire enacts a brutal coastal bombardment against the heavy gun batteries of the Russian forces. While expert vehicle and artillery use is crucial, sharp-eyed infantry that are able to stay ahead of the mayhem can make a serious impact with each capture point.

Galicia: Set during the epic Brusilov Offensive, you’ll find the Russian Empire committed to pushing back the Austro-Hungarian forces from within the Russian countryside. It’s an open map focused on infantry, cavalry, and light vehicles. With plenty of open space to traverse, it’s a great opportunity to make use of the cavalry charge as both lightning-fast transport and a serious threat to enemies on foot.

Brusilov Keep: The Russians have pushed the Austro-Hungarians back into a secluded mountain town along a critical trade route of the Eastern Front, but the opposition is making a strong stand on this infantry-focused map. Set in the shadow of the Carpathian Mountains, there’s a big emphasis on close-range soldier combat here. Your best bet? Top-notch teamwork with your squad.

Tsaritsyn: The Bolsheviks and the Imperials enter the fray among barricaded streets as the old and new regimes fight for the soul of Russia. This up-close and personal infantry fight is as ruthless as they come. Use the house-to-house fighting to your advantage by setting up ambushes for overextending enemies.

Volga River: A ruined rural battleground sets the stage for a tank fight between the Bolsheviks in red and the Imperial Army in white. Makeshift shelters provide cover from the freezing cold and the constant exchange of heavy firepower. As you trade salvos with enemy tanks, remember to keep yourself from being outnumbered. A strategic retreat can give you time to regroup and prevent losing vehicle resources.

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Update: This story originally stated that the EU PS Plus games were different to the US’s free games for September 2017. However, it appears the wrong games were initially announced for North America, and now both regions will receive the same games–those originally announced for Europe only, with the exception of Strike Vector Ex, which European players will not get. Original story follows.

It’s almost September, which means that PS Plus subscribers can expect a new batch of free games soon. Today, Sony revealed the crop of titles that European PS Plus members will be able to download starting next week for PS4, PS3, and Vita.

September is a particularly good month for subscribers, because it includes eight free games instead of the usual six. There’s still the normal lineup of two games for each PlayStation console, but Sony is also giving away a couple of bonus games–Rigs for PSVR and That’s You! for PS4, the latter of which has been available for free throughout July and August.

The rest of the lineup is headlined by open-world action game Infamous: Second Son on PS4. In addition, PS4 players can grab the fantastic RPG Child of Light. PS3 owners, meanwhile, can snag Truck Racer and Handball 16. Finally, We Are Doomed and the hilarious pigeon-dating sim Hatoful Boyfriend are free for Vita; both of these titles are cross-buy on PS4.

The new selection of free games will be available starting on September 5; you can still grab August’s free games until then. This month’s rotation includes Just Cause 3 and Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry.

PlayStation Plus Free Games For September 2017

PS4

• Infamous: Second Son
• Child of Light
• Hatoful Boyfriend
• We Are Doomed

PS3

• Truck Racer
• Handball 16

Vita

• We Are Doomed
• Hatoful Boyfriend

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Nintendo revealed a ton of new indie games for Switch during its Nindies Summer Showcase presentation today. In all, the company highlighted 20 titles that are on the way to its new console, including the Super Meat Boy sequel, Super Meat Boy Forever, a brand-new No More Heroes game titled Travis Strikes Again, and many others.

We’ve put together a roundup of all the trailers from today’s presentation below. You can find a full list of the game’s announced during the broadcast here.

Super Meat Boy Forever

Floor Kids

Wulver Blade

Poly Bridge

Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition

Earth Atlantis

SteamWorld Dig 2

Mulaka

Yono and the Celestial Elephants

Battle Chef Brigade

Morphies Law

Sausage Sports Club

Light Fingers

Nine Parchments

No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again

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Following a last-minute delay, this week’s release of Sonic Mania on PC brought with it some unpleasant news when players discovered it uses the much-maligned Denuvo DRM. Worse yet, the game could not be played offline, although that particular grievance has since been resolved by Sega.

After launching on Steam yesterday, players began reporting that Mania installs Denuvo on users’ computers. The anti-tamper DRM has helped companies to prevent their games from being cracked—at least temporarily–in the past. However, it’s also viewed by many as malware that impacts game performance. And much to fans’ chagrin, its inclusion was not initially listed on Mania’s Steam store page (although that has since been rectified).

As a result, the response has been extremely negative. Although Mania maintains a “Mostly Positive” user review average on Steam, all 10 reviews displayed on the main Steam store page–those voted by other users as the most helpful–are negative ones, citing the use of Denuvo. The inability to play Mania offline only served to make matters worse.

In response, Sega posted a message on Steam vowing to address the lack of a DRM notice and the online check. “Like you, we’ve noticed an error in the Steam store not mentioning the DRM for Sonic Mania,” it said. “We’re fixing that now. Sonic Mania is intended to be played offline and we’re investigating reports on that. We’re also investigating other issues like controller support; these are all PC specific things that Christian [Whitehead, Mania’s project lead] and the team have been working on these last few weeks. Please bear with us while we collate and investigate problems that are being brought to our attention.”

A separate post on Facebook claims that the inability to play offline was due to an unrelated bug, and not a choice with regards to the DRM. Sega Europe’s Twitter account has since confirmed this has been fixed and offline play is now possible. However, there’s no indication that the company intends to remove Denuvo, which, for many players, is the more pressing concern.

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Here is some pretty big news about The Simpsons, one of TV’s longest-running and most beloved shows: veteran composer Alf Clausen is leaving the program. This is according to reports from Entertainment Weekly and Variety, which claim the Emmy-winning composer has “parted ways” with the show, though the circumstances around his supposed departure are unclear. Cost-cutting measures are speculated.

Whatever the case, this is a big loss for The Simpsons. Clausen, 76, joined The Simpsons in 1990, at the beginning of Season 2. He has worked on the series since then, picking up 23 Emmy nominations throughout his run where he scored more than 560 episodes of the series.

Clausen told Variety that producer Richard Sakai called him to let him know that The Simpsons would be pursuing “a different kind of music” going forward, and Clausen would not be needed.

Clausen did the music for The Simpsons Season 28 finale back in May. Season 29 premieres on October 1, but we don’t know yet who will score it.

According to Variety, the 35-piece orchestra that Clausen uses for every episode can carry a cost of “millions of dollars” per year.

The iconic Simpsons theme song from Danny Elfman is not expected to be replaced amidst Clausen’s exit.

In addition to The Simpsons, Clausen scored the popular movies The Naked Gun and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

In other news about The Simpsons, producer Al Jean recently discussed the possibility of a sequel to The Simpsons Movie.

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Until Dawn proved to be popular when it launched for PS4 in 2015, and now we know when fans can play its PSVR prequel The Inpatient. In a new trailer, publisher Sony has announced The Inpatient’s release date as November 21.

The new video also shows off a little more of the game’s setting, Blackwood Sanatorium, and hints at its story. Take a look for yourself below.

First announced at E3 2017, The Inpatient is set 60 years before Until Dawn. However, developer Supermassive has stated you won’t need to have completed Until Dawn to enjoy this prequel. “It’s an entirely standalone title with a brand new story and cast of characters to meet,” the company said in June.

You play as a patient with amnesia being questioned by a mysterious man named Jefferson Bragg. “Over the course of the game you’ll meet a variety of interesting patients and staff, each with their own motivations and agendas,” reads a line from the game’s description. “How you react to these characters and the choices you make will have profound and dramatic consequences for how the story unfolds.”

Interestingly, NPCs will react if you speak out loud or make noises while playing the game, and you can see your character’s entire body if you look down. Supermassive says this helps to create a more immersive experience.

The Inpatient isn’t the first VR Until Dawn spinoff; Until Dawn: Rush of Blood was a launch title for PSVR. Despite the original game’s achievements, however, Rush of Blood was less enjoyable, and we awarded it a 5/10 in our Until Dawn: Rush of Blood review.

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