Author: Trafficblast

Death Stranding, the ambitious and odd PlayStation 4 game, is one of 2019’s most-anticipated titles. Now, game director Hideo Kojima has revealed its box art and the special-edition SteelBook version. Kojima revealed the new art during a San Diego Comic-Con panel where he spoke about Death Stranding alongside his friend, the movie director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives).

Twitter user kalai_chik was in attendance at the Comic-Con panel and posted images of the box art and SteelBook case on Twitter. They both depict Sam, the main character played by The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus. Not only that, but Kojima brought with him the life-sized BB Pod statue that comes with the $200 USD collector’s edition of Death Stranding. Kojima apparently said he was stopped by Customs coming into the USA because of the baby statue.

You can see all the images below.

Also during the panel, Kojima said it was originally recommended to him that he cast Keanu Reeves in a role in Death Stranding, but the famed game director went with his friend Mads Mikkelsen instead.

Death Stranding launches in November for PS4. A report said the game might also release on Sony’s forthcoming PlayStation 5, but nothing is confirmed at this stage.

For more on Death Stranding, check out GameSpot’s Death Stranding pre-order guide that covers the game’s release date, special edition, bonuses and more.

One of the main celebrity characters in Hideo Kojima’s upcoming PlayStation 4 game Death Stranding is played by Hannibal and Casino Royale actor Mads Mikkelsen. As it turns out, the actor wasn’t the first big name pitched for the role, it seems.

During a San Diego Comic-Con panel this weekend, Kojima and movie director Nicolas Winding-Refn (a friend of Kojima’s, who also has a part in Death Stranding) shared new insight on the much-anticipated and very mysterious game. Among other revelations, Kojima said The Matrix actor Keanu Reeves’ name came up in discussions for Death Stranding. “I originally was recommended Keanu Reeves, but I wanted Mads,” Kojima said, according to a report from Twitter user Kalai_chik who was in attendance.

It seems Reeves is an in-demand actor for video game roles. Polish CD Projekt Red enlisted him for a major role in Cyberpunk 2077. Reeves is having a big year all around, as he starred in John Wick 3, had a memorable cameo in Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe, and voiced a new character in Toy Story 4. He’s currently filming Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Also during the Death Stranding Comic-Con panel, Kojima spoke at a high level about what the game is all about, and well, it still doesn’t make all that much sense.

“You’re alone playing as Sam (Norman Reedus); you’re trying to connect city to city. I can’t speak much but everyone will be playing around the world and we’ll have an indirect connections,” he said. “I’m an Otaku and I felt like my teachers and family didn’t understand me. I came to SDCC 10 years ago and met a lot of people like me, so I think that’s what you’ll get from this game.”

Death Stranding also features characters played by James Bond actress Lea Seydoux as Fragile; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress Margaret Qualley plays Mama, while The Last of Us actor Troy Baker portrays Higgs. The Bionic Woman actress Lindsay Wagner plays Amelie, while Guillermo del Toro plays Deadman

A recent report said Death Stranding could come to PS5, but that has not yet been announced. For now, it will be coming to PS4 only on November 8. Pre-orders are now live, and the game’s various special editions–including a $200 collector’s edition–has been unveiled.

The latest major update for the long-in-development super-ambitious PC space sim Star Citizen has arrived. Alpha 3.6 is available now, and it is a massive update. Among other things, it adds a new law system, more space stations, additional missions, and a number of “quality-of-life” improvements. Additionally, all of the game’s flyable ships can now be purchased with in-game virtual currency.

All Star Citizen backers can pick up Alpha 3.6 right now.

With the new law system, offenders will find themselves attacked by NPCs who are on a mission to bring them to justice. Additionally, the Alpha 3.6 update introduces a series of new missions that actively motivate players to break the law; that should make for an interesting dynamic. The law system penalizes players for all manner of bad behavior, running from minor fines to serious offenses where NPCs will go after you with “kill on sight” orders.

“Star Citizen has always been about player choice and playing the way you want to play, but that doesn’t mean it’s a lawless universe,” game director Chris Roberts said in a statement. “The new law system brings a much more systemic approach to law and order throughout the Star Citizen universe; different locations and factions can have different rules which will be enforced by AI or even other players as the crime becomes more serious. It’s yet another step on the road to a fully breathing dynamic universe that reacts to and is shaped by the players actions.”

Here are more particulars about the new law system in Star Citizen:

“Players with an active crime stat can run, leave the jurisdiction, pay off the authorities, or head to one of several new crime stat hacking locations,” reads a line from the official description. “There, they can use a hacking tool to remove their crime stat and return to civilized society unharmed. However, time is a factor, as players with active crime stats become the target of counter-missions that task other players with stopping them at any cost. Additionally, the new black market economy provides a ‘safer’ path for players to dispose of illegally-acquired goods through some of the less-than-reputable vendors in the universe.”

In terms of the other new updates and changes for Star Citizen Alpha 3.6, you can see a rundown of what’s new below, as written by the developer. You can also read this extremely in-depth post on the Star Citizen website to learn more.

Star Citizen Alpha 3.6 Update Notes:

Systemic Improvements

• Ship Purchasing Kiosks: Nearly all of Star Citizen’s 90+ flyable ships and drivable vehicles are now purchasable in-game, with in-game currency.
• FoIP + VoIP Improvements: You can now use Face over IP or simple VoIP calls to “hail” other ships, giving players another way to connect with each other, team up, and communicate across the massive Star Citizen universe. Additionally, FoIP and TrackIR now power “free look” via headtracking technology, allowing players to control their in-game FPS controls by moving in real life.
• New Space Stations: To cope with the constantly expanding playable space, new space stations are now sprinkled throughout the Stanton system. These massive space stations feature docking pads, shops, and other points of interest to explore.

Ships & flight improvements

• Hover Mode: Hover mode automatically activates near planetary surfaces at low speed. When engaged, ships swap to VTOL thruster mode to level them out and ensure a safe landing.
• Vehicle Item Degradation & Misfires: Items such as powerplant’s and thruster’s performance now degrade through heavy use, overheating and damage accumulation, leading to misfires. In addition, all vehicle weapons now support visual degradation.
• Ship Shield System: Shields have been reworked to add major differences between manufacturers and classifications to provide a difference in feel and value between equipment.

Updated Ships and New Weapons

• Anvil Ballista: this surface-to-air missile equipped ground vehicle features long range scanning and radar, plus the firepower to control the skies from the ground.
• Aegis Vanguard Warden: a hard-charging bulldog of a fighter craft that features extensive forward-mounted weaponry designed to tear through enemy shields and armor.
• Kruger Intergalactic P52 Merlin: ideal for racing, local recon, and fast combat, this snub fighter ship is designed to be transported aboard a larger ship. With a centerline-mounted Gatling cannon and Lightning Power engine, it’s fast, maneuverable, and packs a punch.
• Kruger Intergalactic P72 Archimedes: This sister craft to the Merlin is a snub fighter featuring an extra intake and lighter hull to deliver exceptional handling and boost capabilities in a sleek package.
• Behring s38 pistol: this standard sidearm is in widespread use across the Empire for both citizens and law enforcement officers, with functionality that minimizes recoil while enabling quick semi-automatic fire.
• MaxOx Neutron Repeaters ship weapon: this weapon is designed for devastating close-range ship combat, featuring a twin barrel system firing neutron projectiles at a rapid rate.
• Klaus & Werner Lumin V submachine gun: even when constantly on the attack, the gun’s excellent design provides low recoil and a tight spread, while firing single energy bolts or bursts of five shots at a time.

Star Citizen is the most successful crowdfunded game in history. The game has raised more than $229 million thus far. In addition to the main game, Star Citizen’s single-player Squadron 42 mode features a range of AAA actors, including Gillian Anderson, Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Henry Cavill, John Rhys Davies, Liam Cunningham, and Ben Mendelsohn.

This week’s episode of New Releases is pretty violent, whether it be the swords of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the guns of Wolfenstein: Youngblood, or the crazy weapons of Kill La Kill: If. There’s even a double dose of Nazi-killing thanks to Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot also launching this week. Fortunately it’s not all violent, thanks to Turok: Escape From Lost Valley.

Turok: Escape From Lost Valley — July 25

Available on: PC

If the cutesy looking is confusing you, that’s because this isometric adventure game is based on the original Turok comics–it’s got nothing to do with shooters like Turok: Evolution. That said, you’ll still have to quickly hop around the grid if you hope to escape dangerous dinosaurs and other animals in the valley.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses — July 26

Available on: Switch

July wraps up with a major Nintendo Switch exclusive. Fire Emblem: Three Houses mixes up combat by putting more emphasis on combat arts versus the traditional weapon triangle. When you’re not on the battlefield, you’ll be teaching students from one of the titular houses, choosing the best weapons and classes for them.

More Coverage:

Kill La Kill: If — July 26

Available on: PS4, PC, Switch

If you couldn’t already tell, Kill La Kill: If is based on the smash-hit anime. You can do battle as various characters from the series, complemented by a sweet cel-shaded art style. If has an original story too, starring starring Satsuki Kiryuin, rival of the anime’s protagonist Ryuko Matoi.

More Coverage:

Wolfenstein: Youngblood — July 26

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

It’s always a good time to shoot down the Nazi threat, and July is bringing us a new story starring the twin daughters of Wolfenstein hero BJ Blazkowicz. BJ is lost in Paris, so his girls join up with the French Resistance in an effort to track him down. And yes, the whole thing is playable in co-op, with two players taking control of the twins.

More Coverage:

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot — July 26

Available on: PS4, PC

This week’s other Wolfenstein game is also set in the alt-80s French Revolution. In Cyberpilot, you play as a hacker who can take control of Nazi war machines, like vehicles and big robots. It’s a VR experience built for Oculus Rift and PSVR, letting you look out from the cockpit as you lay waste to the Nazi scum.

More Coverage:

Believe it or not, it’s already time to start talking about the video games of August. Next week, New Releases will take a look at Madden NFL 20 and Double Fine’s latest adventure Rad.