Author: Trafficblast
Steam Introduces New Playtest Feature
While Steam already gives developers tools for pre-release testing in its Early Access program, Valve is introducing a new way for developers to get their games tested with Playtest. The new system will allow devs to manage testing periods without handling keys or mailing lists.
The new feature has gamers sign up for a test on a game’s Steam page, with all the management happening directly through Steam. It looks like an easy, more simplified way to handle testing, which should be useful for indie developers with smaller teams.
Playtest allows devs to control how many people can access the playtest at once, while automatically registering interested users on a standby waiting list. Then, the developer can automatically add more users to the test or simply end the test as needed.
Once the Playtest ends, the downloaded demo game will be automatically removed from all users’ libraries. Playtest users also can’t review a game, and downloading the test won’t affect wishlists at all. The Steam info page mentions that, without support for monetization it’s not meant to replace Steam Early Access, and that devs can even run both programs for their game at the same time.
The beta tool is itself in beta at the moment, and any devs who use it can submit feedback and requests for the feature. Devs can find out more at the full Steamworks Documentation page.
NHL 21 Patch Notes Released For November 5 Update, And It’s A Big One
A new patch is coming to NHL 21 on November 5, and it’s a big one. The newest update for PS4 and Xbox One makes a series of changes to gameplay, physics, goalies, and AI, while it also makes many improvements to various modes such as Be A Pro, Hut Rush, and World of Chel.
The AI changes will make the computer-controlled skaters more skilled with things like improved weak side defender coverage when in front of the net and better defensive positioning when defending a rush. As for the general gameplay changes, players should expect to have a tougher time scoring goals when shots are taken from “non-ideal” locations. Additionally, puck pickup animations are now better around the net, while instances where tall players struggled to pick the puck up have been addressed.
In terms of the presentation, the center ice layouts for the Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, and Ottawa Senators has been updated, while a series of new uniforms are now available covering teams in the NHL, as well as various international leagues.
You can see the full NHL 21 patch notes below, as posted by EA on its website.
In other news, the retro-style NHL 94 Rewind mode is now available in NHL 21 for people who pre-ordered–here’s everything you need to know.
NHL 21 November 5 Patch Notes
Gameplay
General
- Updated shot quality impact for shots that are taken from non-ideal shot locations (reaching and shots in tight to the body)
- Fixed a specific case where a penalty shot was called despite the player not having a clean break
- Fixes for pickup consistency while the puck is around the net and goaltenders
- Fixed a few specific pickups where tall players were having trouble picking up the puck
- Fixed some cases where reviewed goals were overriding goalie interference situations
- Fixed a case where players were unable to get back on the ice after taking coincidental roughing penalties
Physics
- Fixed a case where stick on stick contact wasn’t being recognized
- Various post whistle and scrum player alignment fixes
- Fixed various cases where players would lose the puck unintentionally when blending between animations
- Fixed some cases where collisions along the boards were leading to either no hit reaction or a smaller reaction than expected
- Fixes to pass blocks where the puck was able to get under/through the stick
Goalies
- Animation improvements to various goalie stances
- Added glove down butterfly proximity for old school goalie stances
- Various goalie save animation improvements
- Tuned Goalie redirects to avoid some rare collisions where they could redirect the puck off themself
- Improvements to save selection for Human goalies
- Reduced the chance of the AI goalie triggering a preemptive desperation save when they still have time to get back into position
- General tuning for how the ai goalie tracks the puck
- Various puck cover improvements
- Fixed an issue where the goalie would sometimes spin when attempting an on ice cover
AI
- Improved some Defensive AI gap control cases while defending against the rush
- Fixed a case where puck carriers could split the defensemen while the defenders switched their coverage on the rush
- Improved weak side defender coverage in front of the net
- Fixed an issue where a player would sometimes choose to start a net battle after starting to intercept which would unintentionally allow pucks through
Training Camp
- Added videos to training camp for the new dekes introduced this year
Presentation
- Fixes for screen tearing with certain camera angles in various arenas
- Various camera tuning
- Added replays in the Pause Menu
- Added the ability to skip NISes for rounds 1 and 2 of Eliminator Threes
- Update to the bench camera within Be a Pro to give a better view of the action
World of CHEL
General
- EASHL Club Finals history screen was added to showcase the top teams from each WoC Season
- Added additional content into WoC for upcoming Chel Challenges. Check back often to collect the latest cool new content
Fixes
- Fixed an issue where the game would sometimes softlock if an opponent suddenly quit after starting a match
- Fixed a rare hang that occurs during the intro NIS of an EASHL game
- Fixed an issue where the user would sometimes crash on the Post Game Screen
- Fixed a rare crash that would sometimes occur when trying to back out of a post-matchup Dressing room
- Fixed a rare issue where users would sometimes hang in a Threes Eliminator Club Dressing room
- Fixed an issue where the title sometimes hangs during a 3v3 Drop-in game intro
- Fixed an issue where the dressing room host gets removed from the dressing room if an opponent team backs out at the matchup screen
- Fixed an issue where any user skater on the same EASHL Drop-In team can pull the user goalie at any point during a game
- Fixed an issue where the Club Pants & Socks were not showing the correct club colors in the post matchup dressing room
- Fixed an issue where the Player stamina and traits/specialties overlaps the goal scorer overlay
- Fixed an issue where the Team overlay was overlapping the Round overlay in Threes Eliminator
- Fixed the Player model overlapping the Player Name during the End of Game, Player of the Game Screen
- Fixed an issue where the championship jerseys had a 20 instead of 21 for the jersey number
- Fixed an issue where changing your gloves for a second time in Creation Zone was not equipping them
- Fixed an issue where custom logos and center ice lines were not showing up during games in users arena
- Fixed an issue where the Club custom ice line was showing up in the Club Finals Arena
- Fixed Club default search settings not carrying over to the Dressing room matchmaking settings
- Fixed an issue where players EASHL goal total during the game intro NIS would show as the combination of goals and assists
- Fixed an issue where the Opponents have their name cut off in the Pro-Am Dressing Room
- Fixed an alignment issue for the Ones Eliminator player list in the abuse reporting
- Fixed an issue where the player progression screen referred to XP received from Chel Challenge cards as Rank Rewards
- To more easily read the Player Rank a thousand comma separator was added in the Player Summary Screen
- To more easily read the Experience Points a thousand comma separator was added in the End of game screen when a user gains over 1,000 XP
Franchise
- Fix for an issue where defenders were not showing the correct line chemistry values.
- Fix for an issue where Auto Scouting would not rope in early round prospects.
- Fix for an issue where you were unable to see the goalie filter when assigning a scout.
- Fix for an issue where LD and C are mislabeled in the edit lines screen.
Be A Pro
- Suspected Fix for an issue where the users BAP player’s stamina would not decrease when on the ice.
- Added in Neutral States to certain promises. For example, the user promises to be the 1 star of the game, the user will now receive lesser punishment for still performing well but not reaching the goal. Previously you would fail and get the full punishment.
- Added in a Trade Request Conversation that can be accessed in the Main Hub in the user initiated conversation tab.
- Added in new conversations to renew a re-occurring salary perk when it expires.
- Added the ability to edit shot style and skating style post BAP creation.
- Updated the user experience of the training screen.
- Various miscellaneous fixes to conversations.
HUT
General
- Removed the automatic pop-up when entering Edit Lines before advancing to a game
- Press the Menu / Options Button to advance to game from Edit Lines
- Made various bug fixes and visual tweaks to Base Items and Primetime Items
HUT Rush
- Fixed an issue where Players would see the result of the previous game played after their opponent disconnected
- Fixed an issue where the the Goal banner would display at the end of a game in HUT Rush Threes
- Fixed an issue where the Goal banner for a Game Winning Goal would not display at the end of a game in HUT Rush Threes
- Fixed an issue where one of two actions displayed in the points ticker at the same time had the incorrect display name
- Fixed an issue where the game could continue without selecting a side after a controller disconnect
- Fixed an issue where the camera would sometimes be zoomed in too much during the intro/outro in a 5v5 game
HUT Rivals
- Fixed an issue where only 1 Pack Reward per Rank was displayed
HUT Challenges
- Fixed an issue where Objectives visually appeared to unlock (while already being unlocked)
Play a Friend
- Fixed an issue where a Player would get an error message trying to join a Play a Friend Game as the 3rd Player
Auctions
- Fixed an issue where the option to Filter Auction by Buy Now Price was missing
Collection
- Fixed an issue where the duplicate icon was not present on duplicate players
Edit Player
- Fixed Edit Player where the overalls are consistently shown between Creation zone and Menus.
Art
Center Ice Changes
Updated the following Center Ice layouts:
NHL
- Arizona Coyotes
- Calgary Flames
- Ottawa Senators
Uniforms
The following uniforms have been added or updated in NHL 21
NHL
- Arizona Coyotes Home
- Calgary Flames Home, Away and Alternate
- Ottawa Senators Home and Away
- Vegas Golden Knights Alternate
ECHL
- Greenville Swamp Rabbits Home, Away and Alternate
- Maine Mariners Alternate
SHL
- Djurgarden Hockey Home and Away
- Farjestads BK Home and Away
- Orebro Hockey Home, Away and Alternate
- Rogle BK Home and Away
- Skelleftea AIK Home and Away
Liiga
- KalPa Kuopio Home and Away
- Mikkelin Jukurit Home and Away
- SaiPa Home and Away
- TPS Turku Home and Away
ICE
- Dornbirn Bulldogs Home and Away
- EC-KAC Home and Away
- EC VSV Home and Away
- EC Red Bull Salzburg Home and Away
- EHC Linz Home and Away
- Hydro Fehervar AV19 Home and Away
- HC TWK Innsbruck Home and Away
- Graz 99ers Home and Away
- SPUSU Vienna Capitals Home and Away
- HCB Sudtirol Alperia Home and Away
HockeyAllsvenskan
- Almstuna IS Home and Away
- BIK Karlskoga Home and Away
- HC Vita Hasten Home and Away
- IF Bjorkloven Home and Away
- Kristianstads IK Home and Away
- MODO Hockey Home and Away
- Mora IK Home and Away
- Sodertalje SK Home and Away
- Timra IK Home and Away
- Tingsryds AIF Home and Away
- Vasteras IK Home and Away
Nationalliga
- EHC Biel Home and Away
- EV Zug Home and Away
- HC Ambri-Piotta Home and Away
- HC Davos Home and Away
- HC Fribourg-Gotteron Home and Away
- HC Lugano Home and Away
- Geneve-Servette HC Home and Away
- Lausanne HC Home and Away
- SC Bern Home and Away
- SCL Tigers Home and Away
- Rapperswil-Jona Lakers Home and Away
- ZSC Lions Home and Away
International
- Hockey Canada Alternate
Improvements
- Fixed an issue where the 2016-17 Detroit Red Wings Home Jersey had stretched Numbers and Letters
- Updated the Florida Panthers Scoreboard and Power Ring Video Art
- Updated the All-Star team’s arena to be the Enterprise Center in St. Louis
- Fixed the All-Stars Home Arena where it was showing an international goal crease and missing trapezoid
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Spelunky 2 Patch Changes Olmec Boss Fight And Makes Dozens Of Fixes
Spelunky 2 has had another update, and it’s made some big changes that will make some parts of the game a little easier, and others, perhaps, a little harder. Patch 1.15.0 is now available on Steam and PS4. The biggest changes have been applied to the Olmec boss fight, although whether they help you beat the fight or not will depend on how you usually fight it.
The Olmec boss fight has been tweaked so that the boss will now only throw bombs at a player when they are below him. This means that bombs are only thrown when they might do some damage, which could make it harder to take Olmec down. However, the floaters sent out by the boss have had their HP reduced down to 1HP, so they’ll be easier to take down now.
Layer doors have also been added on the right in Olmec’s level.
The patch contains a long list of fixes and changes, too. The physics are now a bit more forgiving and less likely to crush players, and players will find that grabbing something in a hurry is now more responsive. Some other changes target exploits, like spamming the attack while climbing.
Here’s the full list of changes and tweaks introduced in this update.
Spelunky 2 Patch 1.15.0 Notes
- Olmec will now throw bombs in phase 2 only if the player is below him
- Reduced Olmec’s floaters life to 1HP
- Added layer doors to the right part of Olmec’s level
- Added leaderboard blocking: see filters/depot_filters files after accessing in-game leaderboards
- Physics should no longer crush the player as easily as before
- Trying to quickly pick something up should now be more responsive
- Bombs can now be tossed while the player is holding one in their hands
- Players can now grab ladders and ropes while attacking
- Fixed Vlad’s cape behavior on the quicksands
- Dismounting in the air after the mount’s second jump while wearing Vlad’s Cape won’t make the mount jump a third time
- Pressing down+rope should now send ropes downward without having to crouch first
- Fixed issue where the attack could be spammed while climbing
- Players should no longer be able to change directions while attacking while falling
- Fixed some weird issues when tossing stuff diagonally with the pitcher’s mitt
- Fixed issue where players could shoot when leaving through the exit door while on a mount
- Fixed issue where dropping a bomb with the pitcher’s mitt was being done with too much force (even breaking regenerative blocks)
- Fixed issue where the bear trap’s gold nugget seemed to fly after triggering the trap
- Prevented a hard boss from processing a specific projectile if it doesn’t see the projectile
- Track Star achievement will now try to re-unlock on just beating 30 seconds mark
- Fixed jetpack
- Fixed powderkeg journal’s unlock on whipping it
- Ghist shopkeeper journal’s entry will no longer unlock if entering uncursed
- Fixed mummy’s journal entry unlock on killing it with a bomb
- Fixed Duat’s dust wall rendering
- Prevented duplicate characters when using the random option on the quick select
- Fixed Arena’s crash when multiple players played with the same characters
- Fixed lasers’ infinite generation issue in the last game theme
- Fixed issue with music not playing properly when reaching Olmec through the first shortcut
- Profile Win% now takes all kinds of wins into the equation
- Fixed issue when pushblocks spawned right in front of arrow traps
- Shields will now protect from firebug flames
- Paste bombs should no longer bounce off of corners
- Fixed punish ball interaction with pipes
- Fixed issue where Dice shops could sometimes soft lock
- Prevented soft-locks on being thrown by a vendor or yeti with the punish ball
- Fixed issue where certain corners could mess with the jetpack and other stuff
- Players will no longer be considered vegan if they consume the elixir
- Prevented vendors from angering when touching a level generated cobweb
- The player ghost is now able to flip and shake during the dash
- Prevented magmamen from spawning on a tile of lava where they immediately fall down
- Made cursed pots a lot less likely to be accidentally destroyed on Neo Babylon
- Fixed punish ball behavior in the Tiamat’s special exit
- Star challenge generation should now be guaranteed
- Prevented some projectiles from tossing stuff backwards
- Adjusted grabbing point for climbing gloves and climbable entities
- Hard Boss will no longer destroy metal or light arrows stuck to walls
- Fixed first theme boss rolling up the side of the level
- Fixed floating orbs’ collisions
- Fixed issue where spikeballs damaged players before moving
- Fixed coop crash when flag carrier wasn’t the first player and Hired Hand carried the idol to the exit
- Fixed UFO’s sound in the character selection screen on starting a new game
- Fixed issue when lasers collided with armored Olmites
- Teleporter backpack’s base price is now 12000 (down from 15000)
- Hoverpack’s base price is now 12000 (down from 20000)
- Black Market items are now sold at base price (cheaper)
- Landmines placed or triggered by players will now enrage vendors
- Fixed Yeti Queen incorrectly spawning in the Yeti King’s floor
- Prevented some NPC conversations from being triggered from different rooms
- If a partially blocked door can be entered, it can now be entered from both layers
- Increased gold coins’ shape slightly so they can be pushed away with the whip
- Fixed issue where falling platforms would sometimes break on pets without dealing damage
- Fixed issue when the true crown triggers the teleport while inside a pipe
- Fixed loyalty of cloned players
- Added “back” button hint on the main menu
- Prevented yeti king from freezing the players while they are crossing a door
- Fixed flying arrows with rotation
- Localized some extra texts
- Tossing a cursed pot against a specific enemy during his attack now correctly curses him as well
- Fixed crash when a land mine was brought to the ending sequence
- Fixed some crashes in the Dice shop
- Capped leaderboard resource usage
- Fixed black market issue where the middle row shops were using the wrong floor
- Equippables will now ignite on any magmaman contact
- A certain minister generation should now be guaranteed
- Renamed Bear Trap to Totem Trap
- Renamed Snap Trap to Bear Trap
- Removed a couple of sprite artifacts
- Optimized CPU usage of AI
- Changes to prepare audio system for multi-context update
- Audio system optimizations
- Invalidate input on opening any popup to prevent auto-selection
- Prevented posse rooms in Duat
- Prevented secondary rooms from spawning inside challenge rooms
- Fixed tile for the small sapphire and small ruby
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Apex Legends: Kings Canyon Leaves Rotation For Season 7, So Get Your Last Matches In Now
Apex Legends Season 7 is just hours away from starting, with the new season projected to land at 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET, November 4. With the start of a new season, one of Apex Legends’ best–and definitely its most iconic–maps will be sent to the vault for a while, meaning you have just a few hours to play on it.
Kings Canyon will not be a part of Apex Legends Season 7, meaning that in a few hours it’ll be locked away until a future season. The map, which has changed over time as new seasons and events have shifted the landscape, is a beloved classic–and it’s worth dropping in for a last round or two before it goes away.
Today is your last chance to play Kings Canyon before it goes out of rotation for a little while in Season 7.
Where are you hot dropping to say your goodbyes?🤔 pic.twitter.com/hCLAgrIWQ4
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) November 4, 2020
This season launches later than most, but there’s an upside if you want to run around this map again.
Season 7 of Apex Legends will bring a new hero, Horizon, to the game. You’ll be able to use her on the new map, Olympus, that is rolling out later today.
Apex Legends is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and will be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X at launch through backwards compatibility. The game is also coming to Switch in 2021, and has been previously announced for mobile devices, although it’s been a while since we heard news on this version.
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Halo Infinite: See How They Recorded Weapon Sounds
While Halo Infinite has been delayed to 2021, developer 343 Industries is filling the time with a special behind-the-scenes look at how sound of the game’s sounds were recorded.
In this newest video, we get a closer look at how the audio team captured the “small arms” weapon sounds for Halo Infinite, and it’s very impressive. The team recorded in all manner of locations and situations, using weaponry that runs the gamut from hand-held slingshots to long rifles. There is an exciting sequence in the middle where a developer hunkers down behind a wall as bullets whizz overhead.
The Halo series is known for its strong audio design, and this video seems to demonstrate how that should continue with Halo Infinite. Check out the video above, but note that some of the scenes in the video were published on Instagram earlier in 2020 and back in 2019.
In other news, another lead on Halo Infinite has left the project. When the game is finally released in 2021, the multiplayer element will be free, and that could be a big deal. The entire game, too, will be available at no extra cost for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
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Crash Bandicoot 4 Composer On Making Music For The Iconic Franchise
After working on the soundtracks for mega-franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Killzone, Total War, and Splinter Cell, composer Walter Mair was brought on to write new music for Activision’s Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. The music in Crash 4 does a good job at staying true to the origins of the franchise–you’ll hear lots of marimbas and percussion instruments–while updating the music for a more modern feel. We recently spoke with Mair about this an a number of other topics about Crash 4’s music.
In our interview, Mair speaks about how he became attached to Crash 4 in the first place, how much access he had to the development team and what the collaboration process was like with Toys For Bob, and the varied instrumentation he used to score the game.
Mair composed unique music for each setting and character, and he went to some interesting places to nail down the right sounds for each. For Dingodile, Mair used a clumsily played tuba and double bass to describe the character, while Mair used electric guitars and bass guitars through massive stacks of guitar amps and a drum set to create the music for the N.Gin boss fight.
Mair also shared that he used primitive instruments like the bone flute and fur drums for Crash 4’s prehistoric levels, and you can hear some of this in the videos embedded in this story.
Now that Crash 4 has been out for about a month, Mair reflected on the response to the game and the music, which has been generally positive. “Fans enjoyed how the music was composed to be more dynamic and reflective of the unique worlds, as well as different sections of gameplay within levels,” Mair said. “The off beat mardi gras level has been a standout music experience for many.”
Mair also said people have been sharing their own cover versions of songs, including full-on metal tracks. “There is absolutely brilliant material online and I am loving every single piece of it! This is a great honor and exactly what this amazing franchise deserves–to live on and see the many interpretations of the music,” Mair said.
You can check out our full interview below.
How did you come to be attached to Crash 4 in the first place?
As a big fan of the franchise I was over the moon when I heard from the Toys For Bob studio that I was invited to audition for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. The next stage was critical and so I locked myself into my recording studio to come up with new sounds and combinations of instruments to create a quirky-sounding world that fits this new Crash adventure.

How much access did you have to the Crash 4 development team, and what was the collaboration process like?
I was given access to the title in an early development state. I had the pleasure of meeting the Toys For Bob team at their studio in San Francisco. Each sub-team provided me with updates on their latest development so I could see first-hand how the animations were going to look, the objects and colors of the level design, and which characters the studio would introduce or bring back to this exciting new experience.
From then on, I stayed in regular contact with the studio and the Audio team. Toys For Bob wanted to create a more sculpted, dynamic music experience for the player, so there was frequent back and forth with the Audio team to dial in what works for each level and gameplay section. Threading the needle of being inventive and fresh while staying true to the established Crash music tone can be a challenging target and the team provided great feedback–sometimes we’d go a little too far, then reel it back in. There was a lot of music to be written in a short timeframe, so we created a helpful system for tracking music progress and sharing notes and assets. The Audio teams at Toys For Bob and Beenox also assisted with music remixing including the N.Verted mode remixes – it was great to collaborate with folks who care so much about the music and bring their own music skills to the creative process.
At a higher level, can you speak about the challenges of trying to stay true to the roots of the series while also putting your own stamp on it?
The people at Toys For Bob were absolutely amazing in that they gave me free reign to explore and experiment with different instrumentation and ideas, while staying true to the core tone and feel of Crash music. We tried various approaches at first–recording instruments live versus using mainly synths and electronic instruments. For Crash 4, we wanted to elevate the soundtrack to the next level so I decided to follow a hybrid approach where we recorded most of the instruments live but then tweaked them with analog and digital effects. A recorded saxophone would result in a quirky synth sound that still contained all the ‘breathiness’ one would hear on a real sax performance. I also experimented with synths and incorporated my modular synth rig which was responsible for many of the textures and sounds for Cortex.
To connect the music with past titles and add a bonus for the fans who’ve been playing the franchise for decades, I also brought back some of the long-standing themes. I also incorporated the heavy usage of marimbas, memorable melodies and playful composition as a way of grounding the music as a Crash experience, while at the same time pulling it into new territory through more sculpting of tone and instrumentation to represent the unique locations.
Whilst I composed a fresh main theme for Crash 4, you will notice a hint at previous themes in some of the cutscenes. For example, when Cortex enters the screen and we hear a synth-laden rendition of his theme that then cuts off abruptly as Tawna enters the stage, and her new theme comes in.
Crash’s adventures in the new game take place in a multitude of varied locations–what kind of instrumentation did you use to capture this?
This was so much fun as each setting and character got their very own music. For Dingodile I recorded a brass band with guitars and drums. A clumsily played tuba and double bass describe the character that comes to Crash’s aid in the game.
The music for the first boss fight against N.Gin was something rather special–I was presented with the task to write music for a huge robot who plays a gigantic drum set behind massive amps that fire large soundwaves at Crash to the beat of the music. The music needed to capture the vibe of the scene and be bold, daring and … epic! So I recorded electric guitars and bass that I had run through massive stacks of guitar amps and a large drum set that was accompanied by fast synth-movements. We also slipped in a nod to the original N.Gin music, to connect with franchise history.
For the levels set in Wasteland I wanted to capture raw and ‘heavy’ sounds. Equipped with field recorders I took a recording team into a quarry where we smashed rocks and metal objects with sledgehammers and large wrenches. These sounds were then treated with effects and became the backbone of a drum beat or massive stomping effect.
The Prehistoric levels received their own unique sound-world by recording primitive instruments such as the bone flute or fur drums. These sounds, combined with orchestral colors and the Crash-style fast Marimba runs, provide the score with a unique sound that is equally at home in the Crash universe. We also contrasted the playful, prehistoric-themed Crash music, with the super epic, cinematic chase music in the Dino Dash level. This is a good example of times when we stylistically pushed music into new territory.
Percussion instruments are a big part of the Crash series–what did you do to ensure you were really nailing this essential part of the franchise?
Absolutely, percussion is such a great element to pick up the pace and add an element of forward momentum to keep the player pushing through the level. I recorded a very large selection of drums. From the simpler hand-made instruments for the Prehistoric levels, to industrial sounds that were recorded in a quarry to enhance the Wasteland levels. The score also makes regular use of full drum sets and electronic drums. In particular, the drums employed for the city levels feature this ‘80s ‘old school’ vibe that were so fitting to the retro sounds of synths accompanying the beat elements. There are also levels where more than one drum set plays at a given time and we weave in and out of electronic and real drums for added craziness when we really want to change up the sound.
Now that Crash 4 has been out for a little, what are you hearing from fans about the music?
I’ve rarely experienced before such support as that which the amazing fans of Crash are showing me. I’ve received countless messages every day from fans complimenting the music. Fans enjoyed how the music was composed to be more dynamic and reflective of the unique worlds, as well as different sections of gameplay within levels. The off beat “mardi gras” level has been a standout music experience for many. The entire level–platforms, obstacles, ghost musicians, playable instruments – were synced to the beat, creating a synergy between music and gameplay. And of course, they loved hearing nods to established franchise music themes.
Many even send me cover versions of the themes and level music. They interpret the melodies in a completely different way and produce fully-fledged metal tracks with videos that you can find on YouTube. There is absolutely brilliant material online and I am loving every single piece of it! This is a great honor and exactly what this amazing franchise deserves–to live on and see the many interpretations of the music.
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Among Us Clone Shoots To The Top Of The Charts In China
A new game called Werewolf Among Us has become the most downloaded free game on the App Store in China this week, the South China Morning Post reported. It overtook gaming behemoth Tencent’s Honour of Kings and Peacekeeper Elite to claim the top spot.
The clone boasts similar, if more cutesy graphics to Innersloth’s surprise hit Among Us, and is set in a medieval castle instead of in space. Developed by a relatively unknown company called Shenzhen Youliang Technology, the game dropped on October 28 and has since racked up over 478,000 downloads, becoming the most popular of a number of Among Us clones being rushed for the Chinese market.

As a relatively small indie game, Among Us so far has not been translated or localized for the Chinese market. Its place in English-speaking gaming world was cemented when Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez streamed herself playing to a huge Twitch audience. The game has an odd reputation in the Chinese-speaking world, however, where party game Werewolf was incredibly popular well before Among Us shot to popularity in the west. For many gamers in China, Among Us is simply “Space Werewolf.”
At the peak of the Werewolf craze in China, it was played on celebrity game shows, available in countless popular mobile games, and streamed online–just like Among Us. Although the trend has died down a little in recent years, Werewolf is still culturally significant enough for Chinese speakers that the comparisons with Among Us are unavoidable.
While Innersloth has recently revealed a new development roadmap that includes additional localization for different languages, it’s unclear what languages are being prioritized–and if clone games will corner the Chinese-speaking market before the original game is officially translated.
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Xbox Says Game Pass Comparison To Netflix Is Flattering But “We Think About It Differently”
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service has drawn comparisons to Netflix, with some calling it the “Netflix of Games.” Xbox’s Jason Ronald said in a new interview that he is flattered by that comparison–as Netflix is one of the biggest and most successful entertainment brands on Earth–but he also pointed out that it’s not exactly a great comparison.
“To be compared to somebody like Netflix is flattering, but we think about it differently,” Ronald told Inverse. “It really comes down to how can we find new ways to get more people to enjoy the art form that we all love. Plenty of people prefer physical media, and we support that with Xbox Series X. Then you look at something like Game Pass, which gets people trying and playing more games. Maybe you’re new to a franchise, or have limited funds to devote to entertainment. With Game Pass, we eliminate that barrier. That’s what we’re really focused on–how do we reduce barriers so more people can find and play games they love?”
Before this, Xbox boss Phil Spencer also spoke out about how calling Game Pass the “Netflix of Games” is not quite accurate or even what Microsoft is trying to achieve.
One of the biggest differences between Game Pass and Netflix is that the content available on Xbox can be purchased, while Netflix only offers titles to stream through a subscription.
“I love the fact that games are for sale and people can go buy them. We have no goal, there’s no slide deck anywhere that says ‘hey, we want to turn everyone into a subscriber, nobody should buy.’ That why sometimes when people use ‘the Netflix of games’ I bristle a little bit, because Netflix doesn’t sell the content that’s in Netflix,” Spencer said on Gamertag Radio (via USGamer). “For us, if people want to go buy their games, we think that’s a really healthy part of the industry. If there’s games that you’re not gonna go buy, and you want to subscribe to get access to them, we see that as a strong part of Game Pass.”
Xbox Game Pass has 15 million subscribers currently, and it is a major point of focus for Microsoft going forward. All of Microsoft’s own games launch into Game Pass right away, meaning subscribers can play Halo Infinite on day one at no extra cost in 2021.
In other news about Game Pass, Bethesda boss Todd Howard recently spoke about why he feels “extremely optimistic” about the service and the impact it could have on gaming.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds Adds Batista, Ultimate Warrior, And 8 Other Wrestlers This Month
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is growing its roster this month with 10 new wrestlers. The roster will expand across three dates in November, and of the new characters, 5 will be unlocked automatically. The others will have to be purchased with in-game currency.
On November 6, 11, and 18, new characters will join the game, 2K has announced. These include some major figures like Goldberg, Batista, Ultimate Warrior, and Trish Stratus–all of whom will be available to everyone.
Here’s the complete list of new wrestlers joining the game’s roster this month. This is part of the game’s promised free DLC.
Friday, November 6
- Goldberg
- Batista
- Jey Uso (unlocked)
- Jimmy Uso (unlocked)
Wednesday, November 11
- Ultimate Warrior
- Eddie Guerrero (unlocked)
- Lita (unlocked)
Wednesday, November 18
- Trish Stratus
- Booker T
- Ruby Riott (unlocked)
2K is promising “more than 50 additional Superstars and cosmetic items” are on their way to Battlegrounds in the coming months, although further fighters have not been revealed yet.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is the only WWE game of 2020, with the mainline WWE 2K series skipping a year to fix its declining quality.
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