Month: April 2020

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Last month, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was released as a part of the roll out of Halo Master Chief Collection on PC. While there isn’t another main title release this month (apart from the Halo 2 beta test), we did get a big developer blog update with everything going on with the re-release of Halo 2: Anniversary for PC as a part of the collection.

On PC, the MCC is an ever-evolving platform, with titles in the franchise being released over time and updates constantly being reworked in conjunction to community feedback.

The Halo 2: Anniversary beta/flight content is going to be packed with an all-new challenge system, customization options, theater mode, and campaign missions all being revamped for the eventual PC release. Those who have opted in for the early access play sessions, and are selected, will be able to play the beta or “flight” editions of the title releases before the full edition release dates. For more on how to opt in to this program check out the community website.

The challenge system will include a series of tasks for players to complete throughout the beta. There is no word yet on if this challenge system will be included in the full release, or if any completed challenges will carry over for accounts.

All-new Spartan and Elite customization options have been added as well, with these new additions available for both Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary.

Theater mode has been updated for use with keyboard and mouse on Halo 2: Anniversary for all your video, screenshot, and machinima needs.

Certain campaign missions in Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary will now support options for all difficulty levels, as well as single player and co-operative online play. These missions are: Cairo Station, Metropolis, The Oracle, Delta Halo, Quarantine Zone, and Gravemind.

Multiplayer for Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary will support a range of maps and playlists. This includes Custom Games, Social Games, and Competitive Games. Here is the full list of playlists and maps that will be available for each title in multiplayer:

• Social Games: 2v2, 4v4, and 8v8.

• Competitive: H2C Team Hardcore.

• Halo 2 Multiplayer: Lockout, Midship, Beaver Creek, Burial Mounds, Coagulation, Headlong, Waterworks, Containment, Sanctuary, and Turf.

• Halo 2: Anniversary Multiplayer: Lockdown, Zenith, Stonetown, Bloodline, and Shrine.

The developers also mentioned the “Relief and Recovery” cosmetic pack for Halo 5: Guardians. The proceeds of the in-game purchase is going directly to the GlobalGiving organization’s Coronavirus Relief Fund. This is a great opportunity to get some in-game cosmetics and donate to a good cause.

The Halo 2: Anniversary and Halo 2 flighting Ring 1 of beta has been released already, with Rings 2 and 3 to be released down the road. For more on the ring system head over to the Halo Website.

The next title in the series, Halo Infinite, is still planned to release on schedule, but Microsoft has warned that developers are facing new challenges and restraints due to COVID-19. Halo Infinite will be available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Death Stranding developer Kojima Productions has sent its developers home to work remotely after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. A March 30 memo from the Japanese developer confirms that the affected staffer was at home since March 20 and had not been in the Kojima Productions office since then.

The developer said it has been working closely with public health officials who informed the studio that because this person did not display symptoms until they were at home, away from the office, the rest of the developers are not labeled as “close contacts.” Therefore, officially, Kojima Productions could stay open. However, the studio has itself decided to close down and shift to a work-from-home setup in the interest of keeping its developers and the community safe.

As such, the Kojima Productions office is now closed. Additionally, the company is sanitizing its office. “Kojima Productions will continue working closely with our public health authorities and enact additional precautions as necessary to prevent further spread in any way possible,” the developer said.

Kojima Productions joins a long list of other developers who have shifted to a work-from-home environment. The teams at EA, Rockstar, Bungie, and 343 Industries are all working from home for the foreseeable future as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Kojima Productions is Hideo Kojima’s new development studio. Death Stranding is the company’s first game, and it launched in November 2019 for PlayStation 4. The game expands to PC in June. There was a rumor that Kojima might be working on a Silent Hills game but that probably won’t happen.

In March, Halo developer 343 Industries released a gigantic update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The update was 60 GB, which makes it much bigger than some brand-new games. Some people expressed frustration over this. After all, even a blazing-fast internet connection would require quite a while to download such a large update.

The studio has now shared more insight on why that update was so large and what fans can expect in terms of file sizes going forward. Design director Max Szlagor said said in a blog post that the studio is always trying to make file sizes smaller, but it’s not always possible.

“With such a large surface area of game, and the scope of changes that need to be made this can make them rather large,” Szlagor said. “Whenever core game data files are updated, this usually means a larger update. We manage this process very carefully to minimize the amount of times this happens. But it is one of those things that can come up.”

Thankfully, Halo: MCC has a system called “Intelligent Install” that allows players to choose which parts of the game they want to download. MCC comprises six different games: Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3 ODST, and Halo 4. This latest 60 GB update was mandatory for everyone, but new players–or those who uninstall MCC to free up space–can use the Intelligent Install system to only install what they want to play.

Szlagor said Microsoft will try to be “as mindful as we can” about the size of MCC updates, but at the end of the day, the company cannot guarantee there won’t be other massive file sizes in the future.”

Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare also has seen some truly massive updates, too, as the Season 2 update was 100 GB on some platforms. For its part, developer Infinity Ward apologized for the large file size, and said future updates could be smaller.

As games become more and more sophisticated and grow in terms of scope, file sizes are likely to expand as well with next-generation titles. With that in mind, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X will feature expandable storage, though you need to buy a proprietary card to do so.

As more and more people stay home from work and school amid the COVID-19 crisis, Xbox Live is experiencing “record” numbers. To help mitigate additional server strain, Microsoft is apparently asking its publishing partners to hold back their big updates until off-peak hours.

Limited time clothing items return in this week’s Red Dead Redemption 2 Online update, with some big bonuses and discounts on in-game items included.

The following limited time release clothing items will be available in general stores in-game until April 13:

• Gator Hat
• Squat Stovepipe Top Hat
• Winter Shotgun Coat
• Benbow Jacket
• Ortega Vest
• Tied Pants
• Strickland Boots
• Calhoun Boots
• Vaquero Baroque Spurs

Along with the re-release of various clothing items to the Wheeler, Rawson & Co. catalogue, an all-new scoring system for kills has been implemented. The new update will reward players for more difficult or trickier kills with more points. All new volatile weapon loadouts, point values, and more explosions have been added, so head over to Fort Mercer, Heartlands Oil Field, and Tall Trees to rack up some serious points.

Big bonuses and rank based rewards this week, with vigilantes scouring unfriendly terrain in search for undesirables will receive a 50% cash bonus on all Bounty projects, including Legendary Bounties. Collectors will gain a 100% bonus on all Role XP for the Condor Egg and Salvage Collect free roam events, including sales on any complete sets this week.

Various rank rewards are still active this week, with every 10 levels earned up to level 60 rewarding players with all new bonuses, discounts, and new items.

Other discounts available this week includes 5 Gold Bars off of the cost of either the Collector’s Bag or the Bounty Hunter License. If you have been saving up for either of these, now is the best time to grab these in-game items. Also discounted this week are all Collector Maps at 80% off, Criollo and Brenton Horses at 70% off, 50% off all Collector and Bounty Hunter clothing, and 40% off the Bounty Wagon.

While PlayStation Plus members will receive a Reward for 3 free Ability Cards of your choice, there is no Twitch Prime exclusives this week.

In other news, Rockstar has promised that online events in both Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V will continue amid the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the teams at Rockstar are now working remotely.

Red Dead Online is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC for those who own Red Dead Redemption 2. A current PlayStation Plus subscription or an Xbox Gold subscription are needed to play online on PS4 or Xbox One.

One small feature added to Persona 5 Royal is a series of crossword puzzles. Throughout the course of P5R’s year, you’ll find a book on the table furthest from the entrance door in Leblanc. Interact with the book and you’ll then be prompted to solve a crossword. If you’re successful in figuring it out, you’ll be rewarded with one knowledge point for free, and it’s worth doing because it doesn’t consume any in-game time.

Note that when you initiate a crossword puzzle, you only need to solve for the line that’s highlighted in blue. All other words around it serve as hints by letting you whittle down the number of letters you have left to work with or fill certain letter for the line in blue.

So, here are the solutions for the crossword puzzles we’ve found in P5R (note that there be more we have yet to discover).

1. How school years are divided: SEMESTERS
2. Hanami: cherry (?) viewing: BLOSSOM
3. Time for a trip: (?) Week: GOLDEN
4. What are the May Blues: MALAISE
5. Where art is shown off and sold: GALLERY
6. A type of outdoor allergy: POLLENOSIS
7. Nihonga: (?) cultural artwork: JAPANESE
8. Label for an uparalleled artist: MASTER
9. Held to inform the public: CONFERENCE
10. Changes with the season: WARDROBE
11. Exchanged all over the world: CURRENCY
12. A border between air masses: FRONT
13. Medicine of varying legality: NARCOTICS
14. Many students’ greatest love: VACATION
15. These gauge student knowledge: FINALS
16. A seasonal sky-bound event: FIREWORKS
17. A stationary hotspot: heat (?): ISLAND
18. Necessary for dares: COURAGE
19. A common skin injury: SUNBURN
20. When it’s too hot to sleep: SWELTERING
21. Techy term for e-infiltration: HACKING
22. Localized destructive storm: TYPHOON
23. Tsukimi: lunar viewing (?): FESTIVAL
24. Establishing an order of worth: RANKING
25. Absorbs the most light: BLACK
26. Co-opted Celtic holiday: HALLOWEEN
27. Lined up at school festivals: STALLS
28. Tipster hotlines offer this: REWARD
29. Laying into someone: BASHING
30. Draws people to you: CHARISMA
31. AKA sweating sickness: INFLUENZA
32. What lights do for store signage: ILLUMINATION
33. Politicians thrive on this rating: APPROVAL
34. Joyful holiday with an intruder: CHRISTMAS
35. A type of wish. New Year’s (?): RESOLUTION

For more on the game, be sure to check out our spoiler-free guide on how to unlock the new palace and extra semester that’s exclusive to P5R. We’ve finished the entire game as well and we outlined how long to beat P5R depending on how you play. You can also check out our breakdown of what to expect in the first 60 hours of P5R and have a full review in the works.