Author: Trafficblast

Rockstar Games has revealed more details on the updates coming to GTA Online and Red Dead Online this summer–and they sound extensive. Rockstar ran through all the details in a news release, and we’re rounding up the key takeaways here.

GTA Online

A new update for GTA Online is all about celebrating car culture. There will be “new opportunities for fans of performance and customization upgrades to get together with like-minded gearheads to test and show off their rides free from interference from authorities and other troublemakers.”

This update will also include a “new underground car meet” and more, including some unscrupulous activities. Rockstar says, “demand for stolen vehicles has never been higher.”

It sounds like the update will have new challenges related to boosting cars, while there will be more race types, and even extensive robbery missions. Here’s the description:

“Expect high stakes and high action as crews hit the streets to get hold of the latest vehicles on the hot list, challenge each other in new race types, or take part in a series of multi-part robbery missions, where a precisely modified getaway vehicle will be your best weapon–all later this summer,” Rockstar said.

There are also eight new Stunt Races coming to GTA Online’s Stunt Series beginning May 27. “These new tracks will introduce an array of white-knuckle thrills for stunt racers in an assortment of vehicle classes,” Rockstar said.

The Deadline mode will add seven new areas at some point later, while the Survival mode will be updated to include new locations in Los Santos and Blaine County.

Red Dead Online

For Red Dead Online, there are eight new races coming to the game next week. These will be spread across “iconic” locations from five states in the game, including Gaptooth Breach, Annesburg, and Lagras. The new races include Standard and Open races.

Additionally, there are new Target and Open Target races coming to the game that challenge players to shoot out targets with your bow and arrow while riding a horse. All the new races come to Red Dead Online beginning May 25.

Outside of these new features, the new summer update for Red Dead Online will introduce new missions focused on the “criminal underworld.”

“Down in Saint Denis, Angelo Bronte’s trusted lieutenant, Guido Martelli is working to create his own criminal network, so whether it’s intimidation, unsavory crimes, or larger, high-stakes robberies–riders best be willing to do whatever it takes to earn their blood money,” Rockstar said.

In other Rockstar news, the developer just announced that Grand Theft Auto V is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 11. That’s the day that GTA Online’s new standalone edition will release as well.

In other news, Rockstar has teased some kind of 20th anniversary celebration event for GTA III.

Grand Theft Auto V continues to expand, as the massively popular and hugely successful open-world game is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 11. Rockstar also announced that the standalone edition of GTA Online for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will release that day as well, and PlayStation users are getting a special bonus.

As announced previously, the standalone edition of GTA Online is free on PS5 for its first three months, ending in February 2022. PlayStation Plus users on PS4 have been getting a special treat already, as they can claim GTA $1,000,000 every month until GTA Online comes to PS5.

The new versions of GTA V and GTA Online for next-gen have “new features and more,” but Rockstar has yet to fully detail how the games take advantage of the next-gen hardware.

Previously, Rockstar spoke at a high level about what the new editions of GTA V will deliver thanks to the horsepower of the new machines.

“The new generation versions of GTAV will feature a range of technical improvements, visual upgrades and performance enhancements to take full advantage of the latest hardware, making the game more beautiful and more responsive than ever,” Rockstar said.

Rockstar also teased that the summer updates coming to GTA Online will have “special benefits” for players “to take advantage of in these expanded and enhanced versions when they drop.”

On top of that, Rockstar is celebrating the 20th anniversary of GTA III with “even more fun surprises,” some of which will be specifically for GTA Online. There have been rumors of a GTA III remaster or remake, but it’s too soon to say if that will happen.

Rockstar made these announcements on the same day that parent company Take-Two Interactive is scheduled to report earnings, so keep checking back with GameSpot for more.

GTA V has already sold 140 million copies since the game originally debuted for Xbox 360/PS3 back in 2013. The game grew over time by releasing on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, and now it’s coming to yet another set of consoles that should trigger even more sales.

In other news, Rockstar has teased some kind of 20th anniversary celebration event for GTA III.

Neon Giant looks to ascend to the pantheon of top indie developers this summer as The Ascent, an action shooter RPG and the studio’s debut game, sets a release date of July 29 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC for $30. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

The release date trailer shows off some of the game’s main features, including four-player co-op gameplay, swarms of enemies, and multiple weapon types. The game will also offer character customization and an RPG-style leveling system with player-assigned skill points for custom character builds.

“We are super excited that people will soon be able to jump into the world of The Ascent,” Neon Giant creative director Arcade Berg said in the official release. “We love making games and we do it because we want people to enjoy the experience and world we have created – so we’ve designed a game that lets all players have fun with the element of gameplay that interests them the most.”

The Ascent is an isometric action shooter with RPG elements that first debuted during the “First Look Xbox Series X Gameplay” presentation in May 2020. The game follows a single Indent–a term for “indentured servants” forced to work as slaves for major corporations–through a story of political and corporate intrigue marked with plenty of guns.

The Ascent, a cyberpunk looter-shooter coming to Xbox and PC, will be released on July 29 – and will come to Xbox Game Pass at launch.

Coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC, the game can be pre-ordered now for $29.99 (other regional pricing not available at time of writing). You can also check out brand new gameplay in the video below:

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We got our hands on the early stages of the action-RPG, calling it a “dash of Diablo, with a healthy dose of twin-stick shooter”. We also made clear to point out its cyberpunk visual credentials: “If the developers had acquired the Blade Runner license for this game, they wouldn’t have to change a thing aside from the name. It’s really, really potent from a visual standpoint, and I like that about it.”

If you want a closer look at that cyberpunk dystopia, make sure to check out the gallery of new screenshots below:

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The Ascent was originally billed as an Xbox Series launch game, but suffered a delay shortly before next-gen consoles arrived. We’ve previously described the game as looking like Diablo-meets-Judge-Dredd, and named it one of the standout Xbox exclusives coming this year.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

The Ascent was, for me, one of the standout games from Microsoft’s very first next-gen showcase exactly one year ago, when they showed off a ton of third-party exclusives like Bright Memory Infinite and Second Extinction. And so I was pretty excited to finally get to play it – which, for transparency, was with mouse and keyboard controls through a PC streaming service. Anyway, it quickly became clear that The Ascent is an action-RPG that’s more like a twin-stick shooter; you’ve got melee special abilities but, from the couple of early missions I played, you’ll primarily be slaying bad guys through a Halo-style two-slot gun system. I’ll talk more about gameplay in a moment, but one thing is absolutely certain: The Ascent has its cyberpunk aesthetic nailed to a ‘T’.

I’ve got to talk about that cyberpunk vibe first, because The Ascent absolutely nails it. Bright, oversaturated pinks, purples, and blues are everywhere, and the world has an appropriately dirty and gritty feel. If the developers had acquired the Blade Runner license for this game, they wouldn’t have to change a thing aside from the name. It’s really, really potent from a visual standpoint, and I like that about it. It even managed to take me a bit by surprise when I dropped into the game world, because the character creator you start out in is fairly ho-hum compared to the fully decked-out cyberpunk world you get dumped into after finalizing your appearance.

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OK, so it’s got the look down, but how’s it play? Well, the first elevator pitch that I ever heard for The Ascent was “Judge Dredd Meets Diablo,” but after playing it, I’d say it’s really more like, “Hunter: The Reckoning But Cyberpunk.” Both are good things. This is an isometric action-RPG, yes, but you are twin-stick shooting the majority of the time. It felt good on mouse and keyboard but this might be a case where I end up preferring a gamepad. But that aside, while it is an isometric view, you’re very much in a 3D space, which means you can crouch to take cover behind low walls and also aim high (hold the right mouse button on PC) to aim higher to either shoot above your cover or just aim for an enemy’s head instead of their chest.

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Furthermore, quick rolls are also a key move to master, as it’s the best way to either elude swarms of enemies or dodge powerful boss attacks.

Naturally, you can upgrade the heck out of your character – you’ll find new weapons and armor and be able to unlock special abilities, up to two of which can be equipped at a time. The one I got during my playtime was Hydraulic Slam, a powerful melee blast that helped me roast the four mini-bosses I battled during one mission’s climactic fight.

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My standout nitpick of The Ascent so far is that it’s a bit slow to get going. The first hour or so of the campaign is spent running through the levels, gorgeous as they may be, doing the cyberpunk-RPG equivalent of killing rats. But I forgot about that ho-hum start afterwards, as I was blasting hordes of bad guys, going toe-to-toe with tough bosses, wandering around densely populated city hub areas where I could visit shopkeepers, take side missions, and more. This is a very intriguing game and I’m eager to play more when it hits PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One on July 29 – and it’s on Xbox Game Pass on day one, no less.

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Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

Note: This guide contains some spoilers for Mass Effect 1, so if you’re hoping to go into Mass Effect: Legendary Edition as blind as possible, we recommend you stop reading now.

The engine that drives the Mass Effect games is player choice, and in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, one of those choices is who among your crew to pursue a romantic relationship with. In Mass Effect 1, you’ll have some human options, as well as a non-human possibility: Liara T’Soni. You can romance Liara whether you’re playing as a male or female Shepard, and it’s actually pretty easy to do, if you know how.

The main trick with romancing anyone in the Mass Effect games is to speak with them often and exhaust all dialogue options. Interacting with your crew between missions is how you to get to know them (and, really, how you get the most out of these games), but it’s essential to building relationships that can go beyond friendships. Here’s what you need to get Liara interested and how to lock in a relationship with her.

Save Liara From Therum

The first and most essential item is, of course, that you need to have Liara on your team before you can worry about building a relationship with her. Recruiting Liara is one of the three missions that become available after you receive Spectre status and leave the Citadel early in the game. You’ll need to search for Liara in the Artemis Tau sector of the galaxy, and you’ll eventually find her on the planet Therum. You don’t have to do this mission first–in fact, you can hold it until nearly the end of the game–but the earlier you have Liara on the team, the easier a time you’ll have in building a rapport with her.

Talk With Liara Between Missions

As mentioned, talking with your team between missions is key to advancing your relationships with them, whether romantic or otherwise. Once you have Liara on the squad, seek her out on the Normandy and speak with her after every major planetary mission–namely, after Therum, Feros, Noveria, and Virmire. During those conversations, make sure choose the “Investigate” dialogue options, the ones on the left side of the dialogue wheel, in order to open up new discussions with Liara and to learn more about her backstory.

You’ll also want to choose flirty dialogue options and avoid Renegade choices that seem like they’d upset Liara. Put another way, you should be nice to her, as you should probably expect. Treat her poorly and she’ll lose interest.

At some point in these conversations, Liara will admit to having a fascination with Shepard and talk about human relationships. Pick dialogue options that show you’re open to the relationship and you’ll get started down that path.

If A Love Triangle Forms, Pick Liara

It’s possible to flirt with and pursue a relationship with more than one character in Mass Effect 1. If you’re a male Shepard, you can also pursue a romantic relationship with Ashley Williams; if a female Shepard, then Kaidan Alenko is your other option. At some point, Liara and the other option will ask if you’re interested in the other one. If you tell Liara you’re interested in someone else, she’ll respect that and it’ll close off your relationship with her. (You can also shut it down by insisting on your relationship remaining professional.)

However, it’s possible to actively pursue both relationships at once, which will result in a scene where both love interests confront Shepard about the situation. At that point, you’ll have to choose; your choice locks in one option but shuts down the other, so be careful about your dialogue options at that point. But obviously, if Liara is your choice, you should pick her.

Key Moments

Talking with Liara will reveal a few key things about her. She’ll mention that she’s never pursued a romantic relationship before and that she’s hesitant to do so now, so make sure to reassure her by telling her it’s not something you need to rush into.

You’ll have another important romantic moment with Liara on the Citadel after completing Feros, Noveria, Therum, and Virmire. Keep choosing the flirty, Paragon dialogue options that make your desires clear.

Finally, after leaving the Citadel on the final leg of the game, you’ll have one last romantic moment with Liara. Again, you’ll need to make Paragon choices here. This will trigger the conclusion of the romance and a sex scene between Liara and Shepard.

Rekindle With Liara In Mass Effect 3

It’s worth noting that if you’re playing Mass Effect: Legendary Edition all the way through, you’ll have another opportunity to romance Liara, whether you choose to do so in Mass Effect 1 or not. The chance comes up again in Mass Effect 3, when you can either start a new relationship with her or rekindle your old one, depending on your past choices.