April 2019 – Page 50

Original Burnout Paradise Servers Shutting Down After Almost 12 Years

Servers for 2008’s Burnout Paradise will shut down on August 1, 2019.

Revealed on the official Burnout Paradise Facebook page, this applies to the original PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game. Offline play will remain available, and the servers for 2018’s Burnout Paradise Remastered will not be impacted.

Burnout Paradise remains a beloved game known for its open-world and explosive crash systems. In our review of the original, we called it “Great” saying “Criterion has once again delivered a racing experience that can best be described as controlled chaos, one where even crashing is immensely rewarding.”

Pathway Review

If you’ve played your fair share of roguelikes and turn-based tactics games, Pathway presents as a familiar and extremely appealing package. Most obviously, it is a hybrid of XCOM-style combat and board game-style movement punctuated with text-adventure-style scenarios, a la FTL. But upon closer inspection, you’ll also find shades of Into the Breach, Diablo, and Dead Cells. All of this is neatly wrapped in pixel art representing World War II-era colonial Africa and the Middle East, which loudly calls back to Indiana Jones. It delivers the promise of putting all those pieces together seamlessly, but only to a point: Pathway is designed to be endlessly replayable, but barely has enough variety to sustain a single playthrough of its five mini-campaigns.

13 New Details Revealed About Borderlands 3

Thanks to various Twitter replies from Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford (and one from managing producer of narrative Randy Varnell) 13 new details about Borderlands 3 have been revealed.

The majority of these details were collected by Reddit user BooleanBarman in a comprehensive thread. One of the biggest pieces of news is that the Slag effect won’t be carried over to Borderlands 3, and will instead be replaced by a similar nuclear radiation-like Elemental effect. “We replaced it with something that actually makes a little sense. The new ‘element’ damage type, which is like a nuclear radiation effect, has a similar effect to slag (increased vulnerability by those affected) and also has a damage-over-time component.”

Breaking Down Those PS5 Confirmed Details

BEYOND!

On this week’s episode of IGN’s weekly PlayStation show, Beyind!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Lucy O’Brien and Tom Marks to break down all the big, confirmed PS5 details we learned thanks to an interview with Mark Cerny. The crew gives their thoughts about the console’s power, release window, backward compatibility, and more. Plus, we discuss a potential Horizon Zero Dawn sequel, God of War’s new card game, and much more.

Timecodes:

1:10 – News Crunch – PS5 Details
42:45 – Horizon Zero Dawn sequel talk

Nintendo eShop Down After Release of Joker in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Nintendo Switch eShop is down and experiencing issues following the release of Joker from Persona 5 and the Version 3.0 update for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Nintendo took to Twitter to ensure fans that it is working hard to resolve any issues so everyone has a chance to play as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s first DLC character, Joker.

Swithouch

Joker, the Challenger Pack 1, and Version 3.0 were both revealed to be released today just yesterday. In addition to Joker, the Challenger Pack 1 also includes a stage based on Persona 5’s Mementos location and music from the Persona 5 series.

The Lizard Steals the Spotlight From Spider-Man

“Hunted” is one of those cases where if you aren’t reading the tie-ins, you aren’t getting the full experience. Whether that material should have just been integrated into the main storyline is open for debate, but the point remains – these issues provide in-depth, character-driven stories that we aren’t getting from the core Amazing Spider-Man comic. And Amazing Spider-Man #19.HU might just be the best yet.

Where issue #18.HU focused on the sad plight of perennial D-Lister The Gibbon, this follow shifts to one of the oldest and most iconic Spider-Man villains of them all – The Lizard. Though actually labeling Dr. Curt Connors a villain these days would be a misnomer. He’s just a guy trying to enjoy the second chance at a happy family life in the aftermath of The Clone Conspiracy. And that’s where “Hunted” comes in. With his son Billy trapped inside Kraven’s murder dome, Curt will do whatever it takes to rescue him. Even if it means letting the animal inside run loose once again.

FOX Cancels X-Men Series The Gifted

Fox has canceled Marvel drama The Gifted and comedy Rel, according to Variety.

Both shows are produced by 20th Century Fox TV, which is now owned by Disney and operates separately from Fox’s TV network, despite previously being corporate siblings – a factor which may have contributed to the cancellations.

Deadline reports that The Gifted could “find a new home within the Disney family” of networks, including Freeform or Hulu (Disney owns a majority stake in the streaming service).

George Lucas Helped Direct Game of Thrones Season 8 Premiere

George Lucas, the legendary filmmaker and creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, helped direct the season 8 premiere of HBO’s Game of Thrones.

As reported by Vanity Fair, Lucas’ involvement was revealed via a behind-the-scenes video by HBO that looked into the making of the first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones.

“When we found out George Lucas wanted to visit, we thought maybe it was a practical joke,” show co-creator David Benioff said. “We were really excited and also nervous because it’s George Lucas.”

The Division 2’s Next Update Delayed, But You Can Test It On PC Right Now

Ubisoft has announced the latest patch for The Division 2, Title Update 3, is delayed. Originally scheduled for April 25, Title Update 3 is now releasing sometime in May.

“The final release date of Title Update 3 will be based on results from further testing and balancing of the game,” Ubisoft wrote in a blog post. “Operation Dark Hours will be your biggest challenge to date, and we want to make sure that we’ve properly tested the large amount of balance changes that are coming to both PvE and PvP and listen to your feedback about the changes before introducing the raid.”

To test these changes, Ubisoft has opened the Public Test Server (PTS) on the PC version of The Division 2. “The plan is to structure the PTS in phases, each lasting a few days and focusing on a specific part of the game,” Ubisoft wrote. “We will have surveys and dedicated forum threads (together with our traditional general and technical issues forums) to cover these topics.”

The PTS is now live, and includes every piece of new content coming in the Title Update 3 except for the raid. Although the raid is the major piece of new content in Title Update 3, the patch also implements several Talent buffs and nerfs as well. There are some balancing changes for Conflict and Dark Zones. Ubisoft hasn’t released the full patch notes for the update, but YouTuber Arekkz Gaming has outlined all of the major changes.

In our The Division 2 review, Edmond Tran gave the game a 9/10, writing, “The range of enemy types continues to keep combat encounters challenging, the equipment I earn and pick up continues to feel different, valuable, and asks me to consider new ways of play. The ravaged environments continue to intrigue, and sometimes they’re so stunning I find myself needing to take screenshots before I move on. It might not have much to say, but The Division 2 is a perpetual cycle of tension, relief, and reward that’s difficult to stay away from.”

Anno 1800 Review

Once I got over how ugly my budding villages were going to look if I wanted them to be efficient and profitable, Anno 1800 sunk its teeth into me. The hours flew by as I ignored its many automated suggestions that I should step away from the computer for a break. This seventh iteration of the long-running village-management series goes back to its origins, trading in the futuristic setting of the last two entries for the more traditional sails, Schnapps, and sugar cane. The change of setting doesn’t instantly make it better by itself, but it is refreshing and supports a fun real-time strategy game.

The complex and satisfying routine in Anno 1800 is built upon the creation and collection of various resources that you need to keep the inhabitants of your island colony happy. It’s a constantly evolving puzzle that plays out on three levels: Production lines, trade routes, and town layouts. Every level of technological advancement requires more ingredients, more educated workers, and more sophisticated facilities. The puzzle becomes even more complex when you add in that many of the pieces can’t be found or crafted on your starter island; that’s where trade routes come into play. Expansion is an option, but trade is a crucial mechanic for survival.