Category: Gamespot

Wrestlemania 34 is filled with matches that could serve as the main event of the show. However, to me, there are two matches that stand above the rest in terms of anticipation, buildup, and potential to be instant classics: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Charlotte vs. Asuka. And while Styles/Nakamura will be fantastic, it’s Charlotte/Asuka that will take the proverbial cake.

The rivalry between the two is new, as the match is built entirely around a Royal Rumble win, but both women’s journeys to the top is just as important. Here is how Asuka and Charlotte got to the main WWE roster and into this Wrestlemania match.

Asuka travelled back and forth between Japan and the United States, beginning in 2004 under the ring name Kana. Most notably, she wrestled for Shimmer, although she never won a title at the promotion. In August 2015, she signed with the WWE and changed her name to Asuka. Early on, she was unstoppable and put on some stellar performances, with her battle against Emma at NXT Takeover: London being the first of many in WWE. In April 2016, Asuka won the NXT Women’s Championship and held onto it until August 24, 2017, when she had to relinquish it due to injury. She did not lose the title once, and her reign lasted an astonishing 510 days. While Asuka was–and still is–undefeated in singles competition, she did suffer three losses and five no-contests in tag and four-way matches. Otherwise, she has been undefeated for two and a half years, racking up 250 wins without a loss.

Since coming to Raw, she remains undefeated, and she won the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match on January 28. New rules for Rumble winners went into effect this past year, as the lone survivors of each match got to choose who they wanted to fight in a title match at Wrestlemania. It didn’t matter what show the superstar was on. After making the WWE Universe wait, Asuka announced on March 11, at the Fastlane PPV, that she was challenging Charlotte for her belt.

Charlotte Flair, the daughter of two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, had a very different journey on her way to becoming the Smackdown Women’s Champion. While she had a few appearances in the final years of WCW–as a teenager–she got her true in-ring start in NXT in 2012. In May 2014, Charlotte won the NXT Women’s Championship after beating Natalya. She was a heel during this time and a member of the BFFs along with Sasha Banks and Summer Rae. She dropped the title in January 2015 to Sasha Banks in a four-way match featuring the other Four Horsewomen Bayley and Becky Lynch. This was a golden era for women’s wrestling in NXT.

Later in July, Charlotte was called up to Raw along with Banks and Lynch as part of the Women’s Revolution. She was the Diva’s Champion for a short stint, and then became the first WWE Women’s Champion at Wrestlemania 32, which later became the Raw Women’s Championship after the brand split. Eventually, Charlotte headed to Smackdown and won the Tuesday night show’s championship as well. She will be the only superstar to hold every women’s championship in the modern era: NXT, Diva, WWE, Raw, and Smackdown. No one else will ever achieve that again, as the Diva’s title will thankfully never return.

That brings us to Wrestlemania 34 on April 8. Asuka chose Charlotte as her opponent, and there could not be a better matchup for the women currently in the division. They are polar opposites with their styles, as Charlotte is an American-trained athlete, who works much more like an ’80s or ’90s star with some modern-day pizazz thrown in. Asuka utilizes more kicks and punches and works with a stiffer Japanese style of wrestling–or “Strong Style” if you prefer. What the two do have in common is the use of submission wrestling and a “never give up” attitude. Charlotte is strategic and cunning, and Asuka is controlled chaos.

What we really have to weigh here is Asuka’s streak. Is Wrestlemania the perfect place for her to get her first single’s loss since coming to WWE? Yes. Is the time now? I don’t think so. Even when you ignore the rumors that Asuka’s win will set up a year-long run as champion, only to lose to Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania 35–which I really hope isn’t true–Asuka and her streak are still new to the WWE Universe. Sure, NXT fans have been seeing her for a few years, but she’s only been on Raw for six months now. She’s still new to the average fan of WWE’s programming. There is still a lot of time to build up just how dominant Asuka is, to really put Goldberg’s WCW streak to shame–which Asuka broke almost a year ago, prompting a congratulations from Goldberg.

The whole match shouldn’t be about making Asuka look like a dominating force and Charlotte simply putting her over though. It’s going to be a battle, as both women are two of the best competitors WWE has to offer currently. Expect this match to be longer, filled with ups and downs, and for Charlotte to look just as tough as Asuka. This should be a clean, straightforward match with no shenanigans or controversial endings. It doesn’t need it.

It’s apparent that Asuka will beat Charlotte and win the Smackdown Women’s Championship, but what could that mean for Charlotte? Will she continue to feud with Asuka or jump ship to Raw during the rumored Superstar Draft happening at Backlash? If she does make the jump, she’ll more than likely take on Ronda Rousey before the former UFC fighter starts her slow build to the aforementioned story with Asuka. Regardless of future storylines, we’re in for an exciting match at Wrestlemania.

If you’re interested in more breakdowns of upcoming Wrestlemania matches, check out all our predictions here and stay tuned to GameSpot for more Wrestlemania coverage.

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Sea of Thieves developer Rare has scrapped plans for a proposed change, after harsh feedback from the community and a realization that their messaging around it was confusing. The “Death Cost” was included as a coming update in a set of release notes, suggesting that the Captain of the Ferry of the Damned would charge a small fee for each death.

The community was not pleased and let Rare know, loudly enough that producer Joe Neate issued a mea culpa and let fans know the Death Cost won’t be coming after all.

The release notes have been updated as well. It’s careful to note that the plan was never to charge players for PvP deaths, since it would have such an impact on player experience. But it also echoed Neate’s point that the team fumbled the messaging.

“We understand that this addition to the release notes was a little confusing, and in the future we will ensure that any future updates we discuss give you a better understanding of how and why we’re implementing it,” the notes read. “Sea of Thieves is constantly evolving, and any feature we will test, monitor data and listen to your feedback to ensure we’re making the right decisions.”

That spirit of constant evolution is needed, as we’ve found it fun but in need of more content so far. The team has shown themselves to be pretty nimble, issuing a comedic “day one patch” just for kicks. You can try swashing some buckles for free with a 14-day trial of the Xbox Games Pass, which will get a new batch in April. Before you heave ho, be sure to check out some tips for landlubbers.

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Far Cry 5‘s release is upon us, and like its most recent predecessor, it’s available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While the game features PS4 Pro and Xbox One X enhancements, as always the top-tier visual experience will be had on PC–though you’ll need some high-end hardware to make that happen.

In the video above, you can see Far Cry 5 running at Ultra settings on PC, which is as high as you crank things up. (We’ll have a 4K version coming soon for those with a display to check that out.) You’ll get to see a wide range of gameplay, as we deal with an outpost, do some driving, and then take part in a story mission where you have to defend a prison.

Far Cry 5 supports a broad range of hardware on PC; Ubisoft provides a set of minimum requirements that will let you run the game at 720p on Low presets with an i5-2400 or FX-6300 and a GTX 670 or R9 270. However, for a 4K 60 FPS experience, you’ll need far more (which is a pricey proposition, thanks to cryptocurrency): Ubisoft recommends an i7-6700K or Ryzen 7 1700X and a GTX 1080 SLI or RX Vega 56 CFX. You can see the full list of required and recommended specs below.

For more on what to expect from the new FPS, you can check out our Far Cry 5 review-in-progress. We’ve also got a set of tips you should know before starting and a breakdown of the game’s microtransactions, which are fairly innocuous.

Far Cry 5 PC Specs And Requirements

Minimum Configuration

• OS: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
• CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 @ 3.1 GHz or AMD FX-6300 @ 3.5 GHz or equivalent
• Video Card:: Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 or AMD R9 270 (2GB VRAM with Shader Model 5.0 or better)
• RAM: 8GB
• Resolution: 720p
• Video Preset: Low

Recommended Configuration (60 FPS)

• OS: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
• CPU: Intel Core i7-4770 @ 3.4 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 @ 3.2 GHz or equivalent
• Video Card:: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD R9 290X (4GB VRAM with Shader Model 5.0 or better)
• RAM: 8GB
• Resolution: 1080p
• Video Preset: High

4K 30 FPS Configuration

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit version only)
• CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 @ 3.4 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X @ 3.6 GHz or equivalent
• Video Card:: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD RX Vega 56 (8GB VRAM with Shader Model 5.0 or better)
• RAM: 16GB
• Resolution: 2160p
• Video Preset: High

4K 60 FPS Configuration

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit version only)
• CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K @ 4.0 GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 1700X @ 3.4 GHz or equivalent
• Video Card:: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 SLI or AMD RX Vega 56 CFX (8GB VRAM with Shader Model 5.0 or better)
• RAM: 16GB
• Resolution: 2160p
• Video Preset: High/Ultra

Supported Nvidia cards at time of release

• GeForce GTX600 series: GeForce GTX670 or better
• GeForce GTX700 series: GeForce GTX760 or better
• GeForce GTX900 series: GeForce GTX950 or better
• GeForce GTX10-Series: GeForce GTX1050 or better

Supported AMD cards at time of release

• Radeon 200 series: Radeon R9 270 or better
• Radeon 300/Fury X series: Radeon R7 370 or better
• Radeon 400 series: Radeon RX 460 or better
• Radeon Vega series: any Radeon Vega series

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Anyone who pays attention to the PC world knows that there are so many new games that release on computers every week, and aside from the really huge releases, it’s hard to tell whether you might enjoy something or not. That’s where STEAM PUNKS comes in–we’re taking some of that guesswork away, and showing you the best hidden gems we find.

This week, Edmond takes a look at unforgiving shooter Synthetik, a rougelite where firing your gun is the hardest, and most satisfying part of the game. He also throws some spare change at mech strategy/shooter hybrid Armed to the Gears, and we ponder the perceptions of cost being an indication of quality.

Speaking of cost and quality, Jess plays free adventure game Traum and has a great, if not horrifying, time. She then gets slothful with her own hybrid pick of Lazy Galaxy, an RTS/idle clicker mashup that is taking unattended computers across the galaxy by storm!

Have you been playing any fantastic new PC games that we missed? We want to hear about them! Let us know on Twitter: @EdmondTran + @JessMcDonell

Steam store links: Synthetik | Armed to the Gears | Traum | Lazy Galaxy

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Many recent Ubisoft games have had you climb towers to unlock new sections of the in-game map. The company first used the mechanic in Assassin’s Creed, before later bringing it to Far Cry and Watch Dogs, and even The Crew. Now, with Far Cry 5, Ubisoft has poked fun at itself and the mechanic.

During the game’s opening, your handler–a character named Dutch–instructs you to climb a tower to activate an antenna. While doing so, he reassures you that, no, he won’t have you climbing towers all over the game’s fictional Hope County, Montana, USA, and that this is just a one-off. Take a look at the moment in the video above.

Previous Far Cry games have required you to climb towers scattered across their worlds to see what activities are available in their region. Far Cry 5 drops this mechanic in favor of more organic exploration: you’ll unlock activities and gain map markers by talking to NPCs and traveling past points of interest.

For more on the open-world shooter, take a look at our Far Cry 5 review-in-progress. Critic Edmond Tran has provisionally awarded the game a 9/10. “Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful,” he wrote. “Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world.” Check out our Far Cry 5 review roundup for a wider view of critical opinion.

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It’s been over two years since the latest Far Cry game, Primal, was released, and nearly four years since Far Cry 4. Thankfully, Far Cry 5’s release date is nearly upon us.

The latest in the series takes us to Hope County, Montana, USA, and it appears to continue the franchise’s recent sillier tone. It even contains a killer bear named cheeseburger. Pre-release, Far Cry 5 had us confused, but what do we and others think of the final game?

Our critic, Edmond Tran, awarded the shooter a 9/10 in our Far Cry 5 review-in-progress. The game contains a number of network features and multiplayer components, so we’re waiting on the public launch before posting our final review, but until then you can take a look at a selection of critics’ opinions below. Alternatively, check out the game’s wider critical reception on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Far Cry 5
• Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
• Release Date: March 27
• Price: US $60 / £55 / AU $100

GameSpot — 9/10 (Review-In-Progress)

“Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world.” — Edmond Tran [Full review]

Eurogamer — No score

“This is the core truth of Far Cry, a series that still has a lot going for it, but remains in serious need of a revamp. It is a moribund apparatus of conquest that is unable to tell any story other than the rise to power of a well-armed outsider over a lushly imagined, exoticised realm, however urgently it might try.” — Edwin Evans-Thirlwell [Full review]

Game Informer — 7.5/10

“Far Cry 5’s world is meticulously constructed, and it’s a remarkable facsimile of Big Sky Country. Unfortunately, too much of the action in it is uninspired. It’s a beautiful but bland recitation of what’s come before, from both the series and Ubisoft’s open-world playbook. It’s never bad, but considering how great the past games have been, its overall predictability is disappointing.” — Jeff Cork [Full review]

USGamer — 4.5/5

“Far Cry 5 is a game that struggles in trying to serve two purposes. On one hand, there’s a dark, horrific tale of a cult taking over a small town. On the other, it’s a playground of destruction, letting players fly and drive around, blowing up things with a bear and a dog. Both sides are good, but they don’t really meet in the middle. If you can survive the tonal whiplash, you’ll find a great game here and Far Cry Arcade only makes it better.” — Mike Williams [Full review]

The Guardian — 3/5

“There are great individual moments in Far Cry 5. The gunplay is excellent, its unpredictable world generates daring stories of accidental heroism, and when it leans into the whole red-blooded American patriotism schtick, it’s genuinely funny. It doesn’t always fit together as well as it should, sometimes forcing the player to work around the game rather than with it – but the wildly vacillating tone is the bigger issue. It’s at once disorienting and noncommittal. Paradoxically, this is an extreme satire of modern America that says pretty much nothing about it.” — Keza MacDonald [Full review]

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EA’s deep learning division, Search for Extraordinary Experiences Division (SEED), has made a breakthrough of sorts. The outfit was able to create AI that was smart enough to teach itself to play Battlefield 1‘s fast and frenetic multiplayer. For real.

EA documented this in a brief video published during the Game Developers Conference (via Gamasutra). This is the regular Battlefield 1 multiplayer experience, but EA did give some of its AI “agents,” as they’re called, a bit of hand. As you can see, EA added boxes in the game world that contain ammo and health. Even with that advantage, the AI looks surprisingly smart for having learned everything by trial and error. That being said, EA fully acknowledges that it’s not perfect–you’ll see a group of AI soldiers running in circles at various points. Whoops.

“All players you see are controlled by a single neural network that has been trained to play the game from scratch through trial and error,” EA said. “The agents have learned to adapt their behaviour if they are low on ammo or health. Everything the agents do is the result of previous gameplay experience. We only give them encouragement for playing the objective.”

SEED has offices in Stockholm (where Battlefield developer DICE is located) and Los Angeles. The group’s mission is “to explore, build, and help define the future of interactive entertainment.” You can learn more about SEED on EA’s website here.

It’s expected that big video game publishers–and companies of all kinds–would have R&D divisions. What’s rarer, however, is that EA is talking about and showing off some of its efforts. We can only imagine what we’ll see next.

The next Battlefield game, meanwhile, is due out this year and is rumored to be set in World War II. The game has yet to be formally announced, but we know it will be playable at E3 in June, so an official reveal should happen soon.

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A TV show based on Capcom’s Street Fighter franchise is on the way. Media company Entertainment One is producing and financing the show, which is being developed by the same team that made the live-action internet series Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist.

According to Deadline, the new TV show will focus on Street Fighter’s “World Warrior” story, focusing on four main characters: Ryu, Ken, Guile, and Chun-Li.

“Together, they fight to take down M. Bison, the evil mastermind who runs Shadaloo, a global criminal organization,” reads a line from the show’s description. “Though on different journeys, our heroes’ paths will cross as they are drawn into the World Warrior Tournament, a competition devised by M. Bison to find the most powerful and capable fighter in the world. On the journey they come to share, they must draw on their strength, skills, intelligence and loyalty in a battle to survive and emerge as the World Warrior.”

eOne president Mark Gordon said part of what makes Street Fighter appealing to a wide audience is its diverse cast of characters. “A particular strength of Street Fighter is the wide range of ethnically diverse characters and powerful women featured in the game,” he said. “It will allow us to build an inclusive and engaging TV universe.”

For his part, Street Fighter series producer Yoshinori Ono said Capcom arrived at eOne after “long search” for the right partner. According to Ono, eOne has “the credentials to help us launch a faithful adaptation of Street Fighter as a major TV series.”

As mentioned, Assassin’s Fist creator Joey Ansah is returning for the new show. Producers Jacqueline Quella and Mark Wooding from Assassin’s Fist are back as well. There is no word yet as to who will star in the show or when it will premiere, or where.

The Street Fighter series has a history of transmedia efforts. Jean-Claude Van Damme starred in the 1994 movie Street Fighter, while 2009’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li starred Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan, Kristin Kreuk, Chris Klein, and Neal McDonough.

The next Street Fighter game is a compilation package called Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, which comes out in May for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, as well as PC. According to Capcom’s public data, the Street Fighter franchise has sold 40 million copies across 84 titles since the series debuted in 1987.

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