Next month’s Star Wars Celebration event will not only bring news about the next Star Wars movies. Lucasfilm has announced that there will be some video game news as well.
In a StarWars.com post, Lucasfilm announced that Electronic Arts will attend the event to “showcase the latest on their Star Wars projects.” That could mean a number of things.
At Star Wars Celebration, attendees can play Star Wars mobile games like Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, Star Wars: Pinball, and Star Wars: Force Collection. Additionally, there will be an offsite Cantina Community event where people can speak to developers.
Star Wars Celebration takes place April 13-16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Tickets are on sale now.
The next entry in Mass Effect: Andromeda‘s ongoing video series will be published today, March 3, BioWare has announced. The video will focus on the “exploration” element of the much-anticipated game. While you have to wait a little while longer to see the video, a teaser is available now.
“At its heart, Mass Effect: Andromeda is a game of discovery and exploration. The choices you make and the places you go; that you blaze your own unique trail through Andromeda,” the narrator says in the teaser, which contains footage captured in-engine. Take a look:
Humanity needs a hero to blaze a trail through a new galaxy. Tomorrow you’ll get your first look at exploration in Mass Effect: Andromeda. pic.twitter.com/HahI2LXPrk
Producer Michael Gamble teased, “Of all the ‘101’ videos, this is my favorite. Hint: it has big, beautiful works. Full of mystery. And space crab-scorpions.”
You can see the previously released Andromeda gameplay videos here.
A “huge” patch for Halo Wars 2 is on the way, developer 343 Industries has announced. In its latest weekly blog post, the studio said this patch, due out soon, will address “a number of the most common issues being reported by some players.”
The patch fixes a bug where players could get stuck at the loading screen and another where some PC players saw a black screen when booting the game up. It also adds a welcome-sounding feature on PC that will alert players if they have old drivers.
There are a number of gameplay changes, too, including a fix for a problem where units would become unresponsive in the Blitz mode. It also clears out an issue where some units could receive a 4X speed boost, while friendly cloaked units will now appear on the minimap.
The patch does not include any balance changes for the game’s units, though 343 is tracking player feedback and will adjust the game accordingly in the future.
You can see the complete patch notes below, along with a list of known issues that 343 is tracking and may address in future updates.
The patch does not have a release date yet, but the goal is to have it out ASAP, 343 said. It will arrive first on Xbox One with PC to follow because PC is a “much more complicated platform.”
“We know a lot of you are very eager to participate in ranked seasons and a bit more hardcore competitive multiplayer so hang tight, it’s coming soon,” 343 said.
In other Halo news, 343 also revealed some major changes to Halo 5 regarding its motion sensor that will go live next week–you can read more about that here.
Halo Wars 2 Patch Notes:
Crashes/Errors/Performance
Fixed an issue where players could get stuck on the loading screen
Fixed an issue that caused some PC players to see a black screen on startup
Several “desync” fixes, one of which covered most of the tracked occurrences
Fixed a variety of PC crashes that were hardware-dependent
Fixed a Network Error on opening Blitz Packs
Fixed some AI issues in Skirmish that could cause performance hits
Fixed some performance hitches in Cooperative Campaign
Made performance improvements on various hardware
Overall multiplayer performance improvements
Fixed some crashes that could occur when loading a saved game
Fixed an issue that would cause a Campaign mission to get stuck after loading a save
Fixed a bug with joining a party and getting a network error
Added a driver check on PC to alert users to the presence of old drivers
Fixed an issue that caused players to disconnect from multiplayer games at the beginning of the match
Gameplay
Fixed issue with “Detect” on some starting units not working properly
Fixed an issue with getting the Palmer’s Pure Gold Achievement
Fixed some bugs with Kodiaks in Campaign
Fixed a bug with garrisoned Snipers not getting additional stats
Fixed issue with squads getting stuck trying to garrison if another squad beats them to it
Gold medal can now be more easily attained in ‘Hold the Line’
Fixed a Cyclops and Reaver pathing bug where they would sometimes stop moving
Fixed an issue with units getting stuck in bases after being made
Fixed various skull functionality not working on some units or abilities
Fixed some cross-skull interactions between Annihilation and Pestilence
Fixed some Locust pathing issues in Blitz (even though they’re driven by Grunts)
Fixed an issue with units becoming unresponsive in Blitz
Fixed an issue in Blitz with units getting a x4 speed boost in a specific situation
Fixed a conflict created by swapping d-pad functionality in Blitz
Fixed an issue with the Blisterback not recovering from damage in Blitz
Fixed behavior of Marines sometimes failing to get new targets after throwing a grenade
Friendly cloaked units now appear on the minimap
Made some adjustments to Scarab creation
Tweaks to Grunt Mob, Bloodfuel Grunts, and Bloodfuel Locust
Holo Decoy can no longer be used on Pelicans or Spirits
Fixed card level of units affected by Holo Decoy not showing over clones
Glassing beam always creates vision now in Blitz
Adjusted AI to make better use of Healing and Cloaking fields
Skirmish AI now uses Extraction and Teleport
AIs have been practicing their Domination game
Metagame
Fixed a bug where parties were always assigned to Team 1
Fixed a rare issue with users not actually getting to play the leader they selected in Blitz
“Halt” cinematic should no longer be unlocked early in theater
Fixed some daily/weekly challenge issues where they were not tracked in some playlists
PC players can no longer tab target to whisper to themselves
Phoenix Log page adjustments
Pause menu adjustments
Set default difficulty of AI to normal from easy
Cosmetic
Cleaned up some language localizations
Fixed a bug with UI textures failing to load
Fixed some minimap graphical issues
Fixed a PC issue with starting army text overlapping some UI
Fixed some issues with individual card pack opening animations
Fixed an issue with a terminal for a red barrier not having a display string
Fixed a Domination icon issue, where it would rotate briefly when being recaptured
Fixed an issue with Health bars getting stuck on the screen
Fixed some issues with particles randomly shooting across the maps for various objects
Adjusted transparency on locked skulls in the side panel
Radial menu has been cleaned up a bit
Added extra visual indicator to aid players when they are selecting cards
Made some enhancements to the leader selection carousel
Audio
Fixed an issue with the announcer constantly reporting Zone B is contested when it’s not
Fixed an issue with the Condor being able to be heard through fog of war
Fixed incorrect audio playing on some units when damaged
Fixed some issues with units calling out the wrong attackers
Fixed an issue with using right trigger or mouse wheel would cause audio spam
Added audio to Plasma Mines deploy
Added a variety of sound effects, and adjusted timing on some existing ones
Last, But Not Least
Under-the-hood preparation for future ranked multiplayer
Known Issues
We are still working on a fix for a known issue where a game can sometimes freeze or result in a very low frame rate
Investigating some reports of performance issues with cinematics
Investigating reports of the mini-map occasionally being unresponsive on PC
Occasional infinite loading screen when loading into consecutive missions in co-op
Game can sometimes hang indefinitely when restarting a mission
Unit balance feedback and assessment is ongoing by the design team
More than 16 months after its release, 343 Industries continues to update and evolve Halo 5: Guardians. In its latest weekly blog post, the studio announced that it is going to launch a new test playlist that features major changes to the way the game’s motion sensor/radar works.
In the playlist, only two player activities will make you show up on the sensor: a (non-silenced) weapon being fired and a Spartan ability being used. On top of that, the “functional range,” which is how far the motion sensor can track you, is being increased from 18m to 25m.
This is being done to “help determine if this has a potential place in Halo 5 going forward as well as potential learnings and implications for future Halo FPS titles.”
343 has already tested this internally and found that it introduces a further element of strategy, as players can basically choose when they want to show up on the radar. Additionally, because suppressed weapons don’t show up on the radar, they can be more effective.
Bear in mind that this is only a test. 343 may never introduce the radar changes to a wider audience in Halo 5 or in the next Halo FPS game (which we now know will have split-screen).
“The motion sensor is a staple of Halo gameplay but has also been a source of some controversy, particularly amongst the more competitive multiplayer crowds,” 343 said. “While some players argue that the motion sensor should be completely removed, others argue that due to the speed of the game, gameplay would become too chaotic and it’d be too difficult to track players and Spartan abilities. Instead of an either/or approach, the team has been doing some work to change the motion sensor’s functionality and now we’d love for players to help test it out and give us feedback!”
The new radar changes will be available in Halo 5’s “Proving Grounds” playlist on Thursday, March 9. The playlist will be available for “at least a month,” 343 said.
“We’ll run the test as long as it takes to ensure that the team has adequate data and player feedback to make decisions,” the developer explained.
343 will be poring over the gameplay data, but if you want to send in specific feedback, you can do so on Halo 5’s forums or relay your thoughts to multiplayer director Quinn DelHoyo on Twitter.
Halo 5 still has a big playerbase, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said this week on IGN’s Unlocked podcast. He added that the game’s pool of players may rise even more in the near future, as Halo 5 is among the titles included with the $10/month Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which launches this spring.
On the more immediate horizon for Halo 5 is a new update that includes fixes, tweaks, and improvements across the board, but with a focus on Forge mode. The patch goes live on March 7, and you can see the full patch notes here.
Nintendo Switch‘s eShop, which launched via a day one update, has separate account balances to its 3DS and Wii U equivalents. That means if you have unspent credit sitting in your 3DS or Wii U wallet, you can’t spend that without first merging that wallet with the new Switch system, called a Nintendo Account.
Luckily, doing so is easy. Simply go to your Nintendo Account page, and choose to merge the two wallets so you can spend previously redeemed vouchers on games for Switch.
Nintendo Switch also allows you to access other regions’ eShops. Find out how to do so here.
Nintendo Account is the new replacement for Nintendo Network, while the former is also tied to My Nintendo, the rewards service similar to the now-defunct Club Nintendo. You can link your My Nintendo and your Nintendo Account here.
Disney’s DuckTales revival series comes to TV later this year. Now, the network has released the first footage of the comedy-adventure series, providing the best look yet at the the show.
The video also teases out some of the story, which sees Scrooge McDuck (David Tennant) coming out of retirement. The show also features the voices of Danny Pudi (Community), Ben Schwartz (Parks and Rec), and Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as Huey, Dewey, and Louie respectively. Kate Micucci (Scrubs) plays Webby Vanderquack, while Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live) voices Launchpad.
Like the original show, the new version of DuckTales will be all about the “epic family of ducks on their high-flying adventures around the world.” It debuts on DisneyXD this summer.
Matt Youngberg (Ben 10: Omniverse) is the show’s executive producer. The first image was released last year–check it out here.
The original DuckTales series ran from 1987 to 1990.
The latest DuckTales game was 2013’s DuckTales Remastered, which was developed by WayForward and published by Capcom. “Life is like a hurricane…of sadness,” we said in our 4.5/10 critique.
Killer7, Shadows of the Damned, and No More Heroes designer Goichi “Suda51” Suda is returning to the franchise that gave him his start in the industry: Fire Pro Wrestling. Publisher Spike Chunsoft has announced that a new game in the series called Fire Pro Wrestling World will arrive for PC on Steam Early Access later in 2017.
The announcement was made during GDC 2016 and, according to the game’s Steam page, will feature the same grappling-focused fighting system as its predecessors as well as the ability to “customize every aspect of the match, from your wrestler to the ring itself.” A list of features and the teaser video can be found below.
Play online: Organize exhibition matches, tournaments, leagues, championship bouts and battle royals with players from around the world.
Mix up the rules: Modes include Deathmatch (steel cage, barbed wire, or landmines), MMA rules and no-holds barred Gruesome Fighting.
Unlimited customization: Create your dream wrestler from over a thousand devastating moves and even more body parts to battle for custom championship belts. Personalize the ring, mat logos and even the referee!
Realistic simulation: Give your creations personalities with a robust CPU logic system that defines their every action. Does your wrestler play to the crowd, or play dirty? You provide actors for the ringside drama.
Suda’s involvement with Fire Pro Wrestling began with Super Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Final Bout, for which he served as scenario writer. He went on to also work on Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special.
From a gameplay standpoint, the series is known for its timing-based grapple system and deep customisation, however Super Fire Pro Wrestling is remembered for its dramatic ending.
The last Fire Pro Wrestling game was in September 2012, and allowed players to use their Avatars.
Earlier this week, Ubisoft announced that The Division developer Ubisoft Massive is now working on a new Avatar game with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and film company Fox. Some wondered what impact this might have on The Division. Now, Ubisoft has explained that the untitled Avatar game is being made by a totally separate internal team, so The Division’s ongoing support is unchanged.
“Avatar is a new project with its own dedicated team and Massive is currently recruiting top talent to work on it,” Ubisoft said in a statement to Eurogamer. “Avatar’s development has no impact on the team working on The Division or on our plans to continually support and update the game and brand for the long term.”
The statement goes on: “We’re proud of what the team has accomplished with The Division, thankful for our community’s dedication, and looking forward to sharing more about what’s coming next for the game very soon.”
The Division’s newest expansion, Last Stand, launched on February 28 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. A massive free update, containing new Dark Zone areas and a lot of balance changes, also came to the game on that day–you can see the complete patch notes here.
Last Stand is The Division’s third and final announced expansion, following Underground and Survival. No new add-ons have been announced, though as the statement above says, Ubisoft is not finished supporting the game just yet.
As for the Avatar game, almost nothing is known about it, apart from the fact that it is set on Pandora and will come to PC and consoles. No date has been set and no gameplay has been shown. It’s the second Avatar game from Ubisoft, as the publisher worked with Cameron on a 2009 game that served as a prequel to his blockbuster.
Looking to pick up a copy of Capcom’s Resident Evil 7? Amazon has a pretty good deal on right now that you may want to consider. The online store is selling the game’s Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions for only $40, which is one of the best deals we’ve seen so far on the horror game.
Here are links to get the game’s Amazon product pages: Xbox One, PS4. Note that this price is for a new, physical copy. The digital versions of Resident Evil 7 that Amazon sells are still at full price. Additionally, the PC version of Resident Evil 7 is not discounted.
This is an Amazon Deal of the Day item, so you have until the end of the day to take advantage of the offer.
“By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that’s okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I’d survived a truly harrowing journey,” reviewer Scott Butterworth said. “The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special.”
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s day one update, which is out now, introduces a new menu option allowing you to see what DLC is available for the game. It is unclear what else is included in the patch.
The only DLC available right now is the content offered to those who’ve already purchased the game’s season pass. This includes three new treasure chests, which contain “useful items” and “exclusive in-game clothing,” according to Nintendo.
The season pass–which is available for both the Switch and Wii U versions of Breath of the Wild–will include two full expansions: one will launch in “Summer 2017” and one in “Holiday 2017.” They’ll include new challenges, difficulty settings, dungeons, and more. The add-ons cannot be purchased individually.
Breath of the Wild launches on March 3. Reviews have now gone live for the latest Zelda title, and it seems critics are more than impressed. In our Zelda: Breath of the Wild review, critic Peter Brown called the game “a defining moment for The Legend of Zelda series, and the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created.”
He added: “No matter how gorgeous its environments are, how clever its enemies are, and how tricky its puzzles get, the fact that Breath of the Wild continues to surprise you with newfound rules and possibilities after dozens of hours is by far its most valuable quality. It’s a game that allows you to feel gradually more and more empowered yet simultaneously manages to retain a sense of challenge and mystery–which, together, creates a steady, consistent feeling of gratification throughout the entire experience.”
