The Division 2 was set to get its new Warlords of New York expansion this week, starting on Tuesday, March 3. But it appears Ubisoft pushed the go-button early, setting the expansion live already. You can jump in and start exploring the new area of Manhattan now.
The expansion costs $30, and adds a completely new area of New York City that had previously gone unexplored in the first game. It does touch on some of the old game’s factions, though, and sets the stage for the year ahead in the ongoing story. Aside from the new story content, it also adds a revised gear and power growth system, and raises the level cap to 40. That will give you plenty to do in the Washington DC setting as well.
Though the new story content takes place after the main campaign story, you can jump into it right away, even if you’re a newcomer. In a recent hands-on, we were able to explore Lower Manhattan, including Battery Park, Twin Bridges, Civic Center, and the Financial District.
March is officially underway, and there are a ton of events lined up for Pokemon Go this month, including the debut of the Legendary Thundurus. A new month also means a new set of Field Research tasks, and if you can complete enough of them, you’ll earn an encounter with another new Gen 5 Pokemon.
As usual, Field Research tasks are distributed via Poke Stops. You’ll receive a task when you spin the Photo Disc, and each one you complete will net you rewards, which can range from helpful items like Poke Balls and berries to encounters with certain Pokemon.
On top of that, the first Field Research task you complete each day will net you a stamp. If you amass seven stamps, you’ll achieve a Research Breakthrough, which will net you additional rewards, including an encounter with a special Pokemon. This month’s Research Breakthrough reward is Ferroseed, a Steel/Grass type originally introduced in Pokemon Black and White. Ferroseed’s evolved form, Ferrothorn, is a great Pokemon to have for PvP battles, so you’ll want to catch as many as you can this month.
The Field Research tasks you receive from Poke Stops will be randomly drawn from a larger pool, so there’s no telling which ones you’ll get. You can have up to three active Field Research tasks at a time, but you’re free to discard any that you may be having trouble with and receive a different task from another PokeStop. You can see the updated list of Pokemon Go’s Field Research tasks–along with the possible rewards they dole out–below, courtesy of The Silph Road.
Pokemon Go March 2020 Field Research Tasks
Field Research Task
Rewards
Catch 5 Pokemon with Weather boost
Poliwag or Vulpix encounter; 200 Stardust, 3 Razz Berries, 1 Pinap Berry, or 5 Poke Balls
Catch 10 Pokemon with Weather boost
500 Stardust, 6 Razz Berries, 2 Pinap Berries, or 5 Great Balls
The auto-battler revolution of 2019 saw a flurry of activity from publishers as they tried to take advantage of the latest craze: Dota 2 Auto Chess. A custom game mod built using Dota 2 itself, Auto Chess was another product of the endless iteration found in the custom map modding scene–Dota was born out of a Warcraft 3 custom map, which iterated on a StarCraft custom map, and Auto Chess itself iterated on a separate Warcraft 3 map, and so on. A year later, Valve’s free-to-play interpretation of Auto Chess is one of the few left standing, and for good reason: Dota Underlords is a thrilling game that promotes layered strategy, mental acuity, and the rush that comes with beating overwhelming odds, making it a continually diverse and compelling experience.
Unlike Dota 2, Dota Underlords is a straightforward game. You can easily think of it like a deck builder or drafting game with multiple economies–Dominion, Ascension, or the Legendary series are some good touchstones. Facing off against seven other people, you have to build a team from a selection of heroes presented to you, and that team will then fight in head-to-head battles with others over a series of rounds until only one player remains.
The game uses the heroes from Dota 2, and it automatically resolves the battles over the course of a 30-second period, with the heroes using a hand-picked selection of skills to wallop one another as fast as they can. Once a round has begun, you don’t have any influence on it, so all you can do is watch, wait, and pray that your team strategy will work for you.
Because Dota Underlords is a mostly automated game, it is able to evolve the exciting intricacies of deck building–synergies, strengths and weaknesses, etc.–in ways that tabletop games can’t. And as a result, Underlords is able to layer system-upon-system as it increases its complexity and skill ceiling through a combination of resource and random number generator (RNG) management.
The fact that most of Underlords is automated doesn’t mean there’s a lack of depth, though. Before long–it’s surprisingly easy to pick up–you’ll be able to contemplate not just your own random selection of heroes, but the hero pools of seven other players in the game as you try to craft the perfect team. You may opt out of picking up that Disruptor because you know three other teams are trying to pick him up already, and that lowers the percentage chance of you being able to get the three you need to upgrade him. With a little more experience you might pick him up just to lower the percentage for your opponents.
As anyone who plays board games, poker, or even battle royales will tell you, the opportunity to turn bad fortune into victory is the ultimate thrill. Randomness can lead to both good and bad situations, but most of the randomness in Dota Underlords is good because the game gives you plenty of viable avenues to change your fate through smart play.
If you know you need just one more Bloodseeker to upgrade him to an early three-star, for example, your best strategy is to spend a bit of time rerolling your hero selection at early levels (usually an inefficient plan since gold is precious at the start of the game) to find him. Your odds of finding Bloodseeker drop dramatically once you pass level five, so you can manage those odds by delaying levelling yourself up–and an early three-star Bloodseeker with a Stonehall Pike or Cloak is a very, very dangerous thing.
One area where the RNG management gets a lot tougher is in opponent selection as you move through a match’s rounds. You have no impact on it all, and not all opponents are created equal. Some are better players, while some just have better starts. Some are deliberately losing early rounds to put together a quick loss streak, trading their health for free rerolls and extra money to get a leg-up later down the line. And if you’re a player just doing the best with what you’ve been offered, you will face off against one of them at random. If it’s the person who rolled into a round-one two-star Nyx Assassin with a side of Weaver, you might as well start trying for that losing streak now. If it happens to be the player who didn’t field any heroes, you just got a free win.
True randomness means that in each round Underlords rolls an eight-sided die and determines who you will face, and that means you could conceivably run into Nyx and Weaver three times in five rounds. This is frustrating, and repeatedly facing off against the player in the top position is not something you can manage around. It would be foolish to try to shift your strategy into beating a single player while you still need to worry about six others still in the game, and it is demoralising when it happens again during the same match.
Everything already mentioned is primarily detailing “Standard,” but Dota Underlords actually comes with three other modes that can mix up how you think about the game. The first is Duos, which is Standard only with a partner. You can trade heroes and gold back and forth between one another, so the dynamics of the economy are different and the power spikes can happen a lot earlier.
Knockout, on the other hand, is a fast-paced variant of Dota Underlords designed to create a more palatable experience–which suits the mobile version of the game quite well. When Dota Underlords first launched in early access, Standard matches could last up to 50 minutes (which is very characteristic of Dota, but bad for mobile phone batteries), though the average sits at roughly 25 minutes now. But Knockout games are designed to last about 15 minutes tops, and because of the way they’re structured, you get to see a lot more high-powered three-star units. While I commonly secure wins in Standard with just one or two three-stars heroes, I’ve played Knockout games where every character on the board had been upgraded to the max, and it’s very exciting.
With a reduced cost to level up heroes and a simplified health system, Knockout games play out hard and fast. Economy management is non-existent, as everyone races to spend all of their money each round, and victory or defeat is always a single lucky roll away. It feels like a perversion of the form, and it won’t help you hone your strategies for the Standard game, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.
The other addition, which was released alongside Dota Underlords’ v1.0 update, is the City Crawl, a narrative-focused mode which tells the story of White Spire. With the death of one Momma Eeb, the criminal element in White Spire has found itself searching for a new ruler. Now, each of the city’s four Underlords–Anessix, Jull, Hobgen and Enno–is attempting to secure their place as top dog.
City Crawl tasks you with charting their pathways to the top by getting you to participate in a series of Underlords-based Puzzles, Knockout-style Street Brawls, and Challenges. The puzzles vary between comically simple and genuinely challenging, and the Street Brawls are well constructed, but the Challenges, which ask you to win with certain conditions, don’t seem to have as much thought in them.
Tasked with winning 40 rounds with Enno and Insects saw me specifically forcing insects into teams where they didn’t fit, for example, and as an experienced Auto-Battler, I could recognise this as inefficient play that I employed only to achieve my Challenge goal. But new players, keen to start with the game’s campaign, can form bad habits as a result of it. It also feels as if some challenges are designed solely to get players to spend their “Keys to the City”–items obtained via the Battle Pass, the only monetisation element in Underlords. Being tasked to deal 30,000 damage with Savage units, for example, isn’t a difficult task, but it’s incredibly tedious.
But by-and-large, the City Crawl incentivises playstyles that you might not otherwise enjoy–completing puzzles almost feel like reading chess books in between games. And as a result, City Crawl does a great job of reminding you why Dota Underlords is such a compelling and challenging experience. A lot of games these days require a high degree of manual dexterity from the player, but apart from brief moments spent frantically clicking the reroll button to find the solitary Medusa that will no doubt give you victory, Dota Underlords largely exercises your brain, not your mouse hand.
If Underlords faces any challenges, it’s thanks to its games-as-a-service model. The decision to rotate heroes in and out of the game allows Valve to maintain a semblance of balance, but there will always be people unhappy that their favourite hero has changed or disappeared. As season 1’s changes to Axe proved though, the rotation system provides the game an opportunity to take a character considered largely useless and turn them into an exciting and dominant force on the chessboard. Things can and will change in the future, but Underlords’ launch gives the impression that there is strong thought driving the game forward behind the scenes.
Dota Underlords is a diverse and constantly captivating experience where no match plays out the same way twice. Having been with the genre since it was a custom map mod, it’s heartening to see it executed as well as it has been here. Outwitting your opponents and the odds through clever thinking is always immensely satisfying, and the game’s complexity means that there are plenty of interesting strategies to try. Dota Underlords is a wonderfully robust and well-crafted strategy game that is very easy to lose yourself in.
Microsoft keeps expanding the already large collection of Xbox One controllers available to purchase, and today it announced additions to two of its most popular lines: the Phantom and Camo special-edition controllers. The new Xbox One controller colors include Phantom Magenta and Arctic Camo, and they’ll be up for pre-order starting today. These controllers will also be compatible with Xbox Series X when it launches this holiday season thanks to backward-compatibility.
Joining the two controllers are their respective Controller Gear Xbox Pro Charging Stands, which match the new designs perfectly while being a convenient way to both charge and display your new controllers. Both will retail for $50 each.
Xbox Wireless Controller – Phantom Magenta Special Edition
The Phantom Magenta Special Edition is the third in the Phantom line, which features a gradient starting with a solid color and slowly tapering off into translucent plastic. The Magenta version is arguably the most striking in the Phantom line yet, joining the previous white and black variants. It will be available for purchase on March 17 for $70, and you can pre-order today on the Microsoft Store and most other retailers. The matching charging stand releases the same day.
Xbox Wireless Controller – Phantom Magenta Special Edition
Coming later in May, the Arctic Camo Special Edition is the second in the Camo range, eschewing the popular camouflage design with frosted transparent plastic and completely opaque white and grey splashes. It will be exclusive to the Microsoft Store and Walmart, and retail for $70. You can also pre-order it today. The charging stand will be available before the controller, releasing on April 27, but it’s not up for pre-order yet.
If you’ve been looking for a new Xbox One controller and want more options, be sure to check out our guide to the best Xbox One controllers in 2020, all of which should be compatible with Xbox Series X.
A whole new month has arrived, and March has so much to play that this episode of New Releases is highlighting six games instead of the normal five. March has Nioh 2 for action junkies, MLB The Show 20 for sports fans, and Doom Eternal for those of you with an itchy trigger finger. If you’re looking for something more chill, there’s also Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX and Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch. Finally, Xbox One and PC players can get their Metroidvania fix with Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX — March 6
Available on: Switch
Remember Red and Blue Rescue Team on the Game Boy Advance? Well this Switch re-release includes everything in those dungeon crawlers, coated in a new watercolor-like art style. It also adds Mega Evolutions introduced in Pokémon X and Y. An Eshop demo is available now if you wanna try it out without spending your hard-earned money.
More Coverage:
Ori and the Will of the Wisps — March 11
Available on: Xbox One, PC
While it sports the same gorgeous look as Ori and the Blind Forest, this sequel is changing things up–and not just by taking the adventure beyond the forest itself. The first game had manual checkpoints, but this one features auto-saves. Where the first game offered linear upgrades, the sequel instead lets you purchase powers using collectible shards. And yes, Ori will be available on Game Pass on launch day.
More Coverage:
Nioh 2 — March 13
Available on: PS4
This is actually a prequel to Nioh, so instead of playing as samurai William Adams, you’ll create your own custom character. You’ll still have to change stances and manage your stamina as you take on big bosses, but fortunately you can do so with friends in three-player co-op. What’s more, you can actually transform into a yokai yourself if you collect a monster’s Soul Core.
More Coverage:
MLB The Show 20 — March 17
Available on: PS4
MLB The Show 19 may have included the Minor League, but it didn’t have player likenesses. This year’s game actually features the Minor League players themselves. And since you’re probably wondering which pro got the spotlight, this year’s cover athlete is the Chicago Cubs’ Javier “El Mago” Bâez.
More Coverage:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons — March 20
Available on: Switch
There’s almost too much new stuff to talk about with the latest Animal Crossing outing. This one is set on an island–one you can completely terraform using the new Nook Phone. There are also new animal pals to meet, seasonal updates to enjoy, and full customization of your Villager from the start.
More Coverage:
Doom Eternal — March 20
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia
Combat in 2016’s Doom was frantic enough on its own, but the sequel is taking things to the next level with a grappling hook and flamethrower. There’s also Battlemode, an asymmetrical multiplayer experience where one Doomslayer takes on two player-controlled demons. Expect tons of demons in the campaign too, including the new Marauder and Doom Hunter.
More Coverage:
March has only just begun, and there are plenty more video games coming down the pipe. The next episode of New Releases will serve up some strategy with the Langrisser I & II bundle and anime action with My Hero One’s Justice 2.
Death Stranding, the first game from Hideo Kojima’s Kojima Productions, now has a release date for PC. It will launch on Steam, Epic Games Store, and retail on June 2.
Previously announced for PC after launching exclusively on PlayStation 4 last November, Death Stranding will now include higher frame rates afforded by more powerful PC hardware, as well as Photo Mode and support for ultra-wide monitor resolutions. You can get brief glimpses of each in the announcement trailer below.
Additionally, Death Stranding will feature some crossover content with Half-Life. The full details of this haven’t yet been released, but you can see Sam Bridges wearing a head crab near the end of the trailer. Don’t expect anyone to open their doors to you looking like that though.
Death Stranding was one of the best games of 2019, with Kallie Plagge scoring it a 9/10 and praising the game’s themes in our review. “It’s positive without ignoring pain; in fact, it argues in both its story and its gameplay that adversity itself is what makes things worth doing and life worth living,” Kallie wrote. “It’s a game that requires patience, compassion, and love, and it’s also one we really need right now.
Scientists have discovered organic material within 75-million year old dinosaur fossils, including cartilage cells, proteins, chromosomes, and DNA.
Paleontologist researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and North Carolina University published a paper on National Science Review detailing the discovery, which was found within skull fragments from a Hypacrosaurus. This duck-billed herbivore lived during the Cretaceous period and was a ‘nestling’, meaning it was still very young when it died.
The fragments contain some preserved cartilage cells, which are host to structures that appear to be chromosomes. After detailed tests and comparing the results against samples from modern emu skulls, it appears that antibodies from a protein commonly found in animal cartilage can be detected in the fossils.
Tests were also run for DNA. A staining substance that binds to DNA was applied to the Hypacrosaurus cells, and the result was similar to what would be expected of modern cells. This is surprising as modern day thinking suggests that DNA will only survive for about a million years, but the fossils date back 75 million years.
“These new exciting results add to growing evidence that cells and some of their biomolecules can persist in deep-time,” says Alida Bailleul, who is one of the lead authors of the paper. “They suggest DNA can preserve for tens of millions of years, and we hope that this study will encourage scientists working on ancient DNA to push current limits and to use new methodology in order to reveal all the unknown molecular secrets that ancient tissues have.”
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 features a ton of content, both story-related and endgame, and it was a good value at its full $60 launch price. Until tomorrow, however, you can get the game for a ridiculous $3.
The deal is available across the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live, as well as on PC through both Uplay and the Epic Games Store. It will remain live until March 3 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, at which point the game will jump back up to its standard price. Physical copies can also be found at retailers at huge discounts, though not as low as $3.
The Division 2’s low price is even more impressive because the game’s post-launch DLC has been free for all players. The game has been continuously updated with more story content and missions, and ditched the season pass model used by the original game.
Its next expansion is Warlords of New York, which moves back to the first game’s New York City setting and features original antagonist Aaron Keener. It launches tomorrow, and will set all players at the same level to keep it balanced. Unlike the other free DLC additions, it’s a full expansion and will cost $30.
The Division 2 is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. A Google Stadia version will be available in the future. In GameSpot’s The Division 2 review, Edmond Tran praised the world, combat, and endgame content, along with the rewards and progression system.
The Division 2 deals
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Riot, the creator of League of Legends, will be releasing a new 5v5 tactical shooter game titled Valorant. Gunplay is a big part of it, and your technical abilities to shoot precisely will matter a lot. The twist though, is that each character, called “Agents,” will also have special powers and abilities, so winning will depend on a combination of precise shooting, a creative usage of powers, and of course, teamwork.
Riot’s aiming for a summer release according to the tweet above. It’ll also only be available on PC and will be free-to-play.
Like many people have commented, the game’s vibes are a combination of Overwatch and Counter-Strike. It remains to be seen if the full gameplay turns out that way. You can check out the game’s developers playing an internal version below.
Riot has a couple of new games in the works, and its new free-to-play card game, Legends of Runeterra, was also recently released in open beta. It’s set in the League of Legends world, much like how Blizzard’s Hearthstone is set in the World of Warcraft universe. Card decks in Legends of Runeterra are centered around heroes and minions are now “followers” that buff the hero or negate attacks by the opponent. Legends of Runeterra’s open beta is available on PC and iOS right now, and is also available for pre-register in Google Play.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
The teaser video opens at the very beginning of the original game, with the Master Chief in a cryo-chamber after humanity’s escape from Reach. The Covenant have managed to track the Pillar of Autumn ship through a slipspace jump, but the alien invaders don’t know what’s in store for them.
343 Industries has not confirmed when Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will come to PC yet, but the teaser and a new Microsoft Store listing suggest it will be very soon. Xbox Game Pass for PC players are given an option to install the game, as well, though they’re receiving an error message at the moment. When it arrives, it will have the option for classic Halo multiplayer sounds along with the updated version.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary began a PC beta test back in February, though only for a limited number of players. All games coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection will get beta tests prior to launch. That includes Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. As Halo 5: Guardians is not included in The Master Chief Collection, it will remain the sole Halo game only playable on Xbox One.
That will still be true this holiday season with the launch of Halo Infinite, which will release simultaneously across Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. Halo Infinite will be the first game in the series to launch alongside an Xbox system since the original game in 2001.
