Month: November 2020

Daemon X Machina released in September 2019 for Switch, and has now, in November 2020, released its first anniversary update. No judgement here–time has stopped making sense this year–but the good news here is that everyone who owns the game can access some free content.

Daemon X Machina is also available on PC, and both versions have received an update.

The first anniversary update, version 1.4.0 on Switch (1.0.2 on PC), comes with numerous cosmetic elements, and one bonus mission, which lets you battle Eclipse Q, a powerful enemy that will grant you a new blueprint for an Arsenal if you defeat it.

Here are all the freebies added in this update, via Nintendo Life:

• “Grossfeiern” Arsenal skin
• “Grandemon” Outer suit
• “Eclipse RT: Omega Destruction Strategy” Order – Battle against the strengthened Colossal Immortal “Eclipse Q.”
• Three Arsenal decals
• Three Preview backgrounds

Daemon X Machina earned a 7/10 in GameSpot’s review of the Switch version. “The missed potential of the story and minor issues with mech-vs-mech combat and multiplayer loadouts make Daemon X Machina fall just short of its potential, but the foundation is strong,” wrote reviewer Steve Watts. “As a total package, it’s on the verge of greatness; it just needed a little more time in the shop tinkering.”

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a major PS5 launch game, but one feature will be missing when it releases alongside the system on November 12. Ned Waterhouse, a design director at developer Sumo Digital, has revealed in a post on PlayStation Blog that the game will launch with couch co-op, but you’ll have to wait to play it online with friends.

The game, which is coming to PS4 as well, will feature 2-4 player co-op throughout the entire campaign, as well as some co-op only levels. From day one, you’ll be able to play through these on a single system.

This update is promised “by end of 2020”, and it will also add cross-generation multiplayer between PS5 and PS4, as well as game save transfers that will let PS4 players carry on their games when or if they switch to PS5.

Online multiplayer has always been a major part of the LittleBigPlanet series, which Sackboy comes from. While this new game will not let players build their own levels as that series did, it has maintained the focus on co-op.

GameSpot has previously talked to Waterhouse about what the team is achieving in this new adventure, and you can read that interview here. If you want to pick the game up alongside your new PS5, check out GameSpot’s preorder guide.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a major PS5 launch title (that’s also coming to PS4), and developer Insomniac has pushed to introduce more accessibility options in this sequel. In a Twitter thread, the studio has detailed all the ways the game has been designed for wider, improved accessibility on PS4 and PS5.

Across 14 tweets in this thread, Insomniac Games lists various features that will make it possible for a wider audience to experience the game. These include many changes that will make the game a bit easier, as well as some changes that will make the game easier to play without using the right stick, such as automatic camera follow. There’s a narrated ASL option, and numerous ways to tweak your subtitles for improved readability.

Earlier this year, The Last of Us Part II set new benchmarks for in-game accessibility, and while Miles Morales does not go as far as Naughty Dog’s game did, the changes made should open the game up to more people.

The complete list of accessibility options covered in the tweets is below.

• QTE Auto Complete: Auto advance all QTE sequences without button presses
• Change Button Taps to Hold Up
• Web-Shooter Burst: Enable firing up to three webs at once
• Swing/Parkour Mode: Sets swinging and parkour to a toggle or a button hold
• Chase Assist: Chase targets’ top movement speed is lowered so there is a longer window before the target escapes. Automatically attaches to the chase target when within range. Press [R3] to automatically turn the camera towards the chase target.
• Venom Mode: Sets Venom Activation to a toggle or a button hold
• Enhanced Auto Aim: Snap onto targets with greater ease while in aim mode.
• Increased Dodge Window: Increases the dodge window time.
• Controller Remapping: Fully Customize your control scheme or choose between presets. Up to two inputs (Default D-Pad Left & Right) can be individually mapped to moves that normally require multiple button presses.
• Explicit Puzzle Hints: Enable explicit puzzle hints during puzzle segments.
• Accessibility Vibration: Enable additional vibration to assist with auditory and visual gameplay elements.
• Invert Camera up/down. Invert Camera left/right.
• Adaptive Triggers (PS5): When enabled allows the [R2] and [L2] buttons to dynamically change resistance during traversal actions.
• Camera Follow: Automatically rotate the camera behind Spider-Man while swinging.
• Combat Camera: Automatically rotates the camera to assist with keeping enemies in view.
• Look at Waypoint: Automatically turns the camera towards the objective waypoint.
• Control Hints: Control hints are displayed on the bottom left corner of the HUD.
• Mini-Map: Display the mini-map on the bottom right corner of the HUD.
• Crime Notifications: Display crime notifications on the right side of the HUD.
• UI Parallaxing: When turned off HUD and Pause Menu elements stay in place on the screen.
• Icon and Prompt Size: Set the size for in-word waypoints, icons, and prompts.
• HUD Background: Enable a contrasting background for the HUD.
• Subtitles: Display Subtitles for spoken dialogue.
• Subtitle Size: Adjust the size of the subtitles.
• Subtitle Background: Enable a background for subtitles for improved readability.
• Subtitle Color: Set the text color for subtitles.
• Subtitles Speaker Color: Set the speaker name color for subtitles.
• English VO: Use English Dialogue audio instead of system language if your system language is set to a SKU supported language.
• Controller Speaker: Allow certain sounds to play through the controller speaker.
• Narrated ASL: Enable narration of subtitled American Sign Language Lines.
• JJJ Podcast: Automatically play JJJ Podcasts.
• Danika Podcast: Automatically play Danika Podcasts.
• HDR: Enable high Dynamic Range. Only available on compatible TVs.
• High Visibility Spider-Sense: Enable a high contrast Spider-Sense effect.
• Contrast Options: Enables various shaders and high contrast options to help with visibility. Use presets or customize each setting individually. Including solid single colors on the hero, allies, enemies, etc.

Unfortunately, PlayStation still does not have a control option on par with the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which will work with the Xbox Series X/S, too.

Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex. pic.twitter.com/Yk2a90CHIM

— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 8, 2020

Alex wasn’t just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I’m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him. pic.twitter.com/CdHCcbqmp2

— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) November 8, 2020

Marvel’s Avengers was one of Square Enix’s biggest releases in years, but the game’s big sales were not enough to help Square Enix’s HD Games business turn a profit for the latest period.

Square Enix’s HD Games business unit–which includes Marvel’s Avengers, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and others–posted an estimated loss of 6.5 billion yen for the latest period, which works out to a loss of around $63 million USD. Net sales jumped significantly to 23.7 billion yen ($~230 million USD), but the cost of goods sold was more significant, leading to a loss. Square Enix also reported that it saw greater digital sales of catalog games during the period, but again, not enough to turn a profit overall.

The HD Games business is just one of Square Enix’s many categories. Overall, the company posted sales of 172 billion yen (up 43 percent) and a profit of 16 billion yen (up 46 percent) for the latest period, so the downturn in the HD Games business was not enough to impact the company’s overall bottom line.

Marvel’s Avengers had a rocky launch in September, but despite that, it was the best-selling game in the United States during the month. While the game had a strong start, the momentum was apparently difficult to sustain. According to Steam’s public data, the game is not even in the top 100 most popular titles based on players, so its daily player count is likely only around 6,000.

Marvel’s Avengers is also coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but those versions have been delayed to 2021. Additionally, the game’s first DLC character, Kate Bishop, has been delayed.

Epic Games has shared some new details on the PlayStation 5 version of Fortnite, which will be available when the console releases later this week.

Perhaps the most unique element of Fortnite on PS5 is how the game uses the next-gen console’s DualSense controller. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Epic said it is using the controller’s adaptive trigger feedback to make the game’s various weapons feel more lifelike in your hands.

“Fortnite will support two kinds of adaptive trigger feedback for ranged weapons: trigger pull feedback and sustained feedback. Weapons that fire once per trigger pull–your Pistols, SMGs, Snipers, Assault Rifles, etc.–will use trigger pull feedback, meaning you’ll feel the authentic resistance of pulling their triggers as you push down the trigger of the DualSense,” Epic said.

For weapons that require the trigger button to be held down before firing, there will be “sustained feedback.” Epic described this like this, “Even as you’re holding the DualSense trigger all the way down, you’ll still feel an authentic sensation of resistance, reminiscent of what it feels like to draw back a bow or keep a Minigun firing.”

In addition to the DualSense controls, Fortnite on PS5 will have upgraded graphics and better frame rates. Here is a rundown of the benefits of Fortnite on PS5, as written by Epic:

• Working with the console’s custom RDNA 2 GPU, we’ve made the next-gen version of Fortnite output at 4K and up to 60 FPS in all game modes on PS5.
• The Zen 2 CPU + expanded memory let us use dynamic visuals and physics to bring even more life to the Fortnite Island. Grass and trees respond to explosions, visual effects for smoke and liquid are enhanced, and there are new effects for clouds and the Storm.
• Our work with PS5’s ultra-high speed SSD has let us dramatically upgrade loading performance, improving texture loading and letting you get into matches much faster.
• Split Screen can be played with higher performance: up to 60 FPS. This is due to our work with the improved CPU, GPU, and memory.

As announced previously, Epic is giving everyone a free item–the Throwback Axe Pickaxe–to celebrate the launch of Fortnite on PS5. This is the very first axe in the game, and you can get it in the Item Shop until January 15, 2021.

Fortnite will also be available on Xbox Series X and S, and it features a big improvement on those consoles, too, with 4K/60FPS support and new storm and cloud effects, among other things.

For more on Fortnite’s impressive-sounding next-gen updates, check out GameSpot’s rundown of all the new features for Fortnite on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Fortnite will be playable for free on PS5 and Xbox Series X when those systems release this week. For more, check out GameSpot’s reviews of the next-gen consoles.

The PS5 releases this week, and it’s available in either a standard package for $499 or a disc-free version for $399. The consoles are identical in power, and we’ve run the system through its paces in order to see what it can do. Along with that, we’ve also been playing and reviewing the system’s games, including exclusives, to determine which are worth picking up on launch day.

We’ve gathered excerpts from these reviews below, including the games as well as the PS5 hardware itself. This should help you decide whether you want to order the system–you can’t buy it off a store shelf until 2021–and you can check out our PS5 order guide for additional help tracking one down. You’ll also find information on the DualSense controller and its charging station.

PS5 review

“At launch the PS5 is an excellent console that paves the way for a promising future where gaming experiences can evolve in interesting ways and the process of experiencing them is streamlined. Its custom SSD, unique DualSense controller, and powerful specs draw a distinct line between last generation and the next.” — Mat Paget

Read our full PS5 review.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales review

“Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a compelling open-world action game that helps highlight why Miles is so special: his culture. It’s Miles’ unique differences and earnest attempts at figuring out how to protect his community that make him into such a wonderful hero, not the mask he wears and superpowers he wields.” — Jordan Ramée

Read our full Spider-Man: Miles Morales review.

Astro’s Playroom review

“Astro’s Playroom absolutely goes out of its way to offer clever proof of the PS5’s potential–the DualSense’s new tricks, the improved visuals, the quick load times–the disembodied text at the start of the game sells Astro short. Playroom is an incredibly charming jaunt through a PlayStation-inspired digital theme park, ensuring that your first hop, skip, and jump of the PS5 era is wholly, unequivocally joyful.” — Mike Epstein

Read our full Astro’s Playroom review.

Pulse 3D Headset review

“There are better headsets out there, and perhaps many that are more comfortable, but at $100, Sony has hit a price that is hard to beat for the vivacious and rich audio experience that the Pulse delivers.” — Mat Paget

Read our full Pulse 3D Headset review.

Dirt 5 review

This review is for the game as a whole. It is not specific to PS5.

“Dirt 5 distances itself from the series’ recent past by being an unabashed arcade racer that’s made up of short, action-packed skirmishes where you’re constantly trading paint with a pack of other drivers. There’s an infectious energy to the whole thing that’s reflected in a handling model that sees you hurl its cars around the track with relative ease.” — Richard Wakeling

Read our full Dirt 5 review.

Ubisoft has shared details about the upcoming Rainbow Siege Siege season, Operation Neon Dawn. The studio announced that Year 5, Season 4 goes live on the PC Test Server on Monday, November 9. With the new season, players get access to another operator, a reworked Skyscraper map, new accessibility options, and the Sixth Guardian Program.

The headlining feature of Operation Neon Dawn is the addition of Aruni, Siege’s first Thai operator. Aruni comes equipped with the Surya Gate, a deployable laser gate that deals damage to Attackers and turns off for Defenders to pass. The Surya Gate can be attached to walls, hatches, doors, and windows. Aruni is also strapped with the MK 14 EBR and P10 RONI as primary weapons and a PRB 92 as a secondary weapon. This corroborates a recent tease.

Further, the Skyscraper map has been “reimagined” and “reworked” to include three major objectives. One such goal is funnel Attackers into the building by reducing the number of available balconies and relocating them. Two other features have been tweaked on Skyscraper: a new rotation between the sides of the building on the second floor has been added and bomb sites have been balanced to make for more competitive matches.

Elsewhere, Operation Neon Dawn features new accessibility options, such as Voice to Text and Text to Voice for in-game chat. Other settings include chat assistance for Narration and Hunts and customization options for audio/visual cues and font scaling.

Then there’s the Six Guardian Program, which contains a limited-time bundle dedicated to a certain charity. Ubisoft said more about this partnership will be revealed soon.

Operation Neon Dawn launches first on the PC Test Server and will release in full on PC and consoles at a later date. This update comes just before the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S / Series X launch. Rainbow Six Siege will be available as a free next-gen upgrade for all owners.