Author: Trafficblast

In May 2019, The Pokemon Company revealed a new Pokemon mobile game: Pokemon Masters. Developed by DeNA, which assisted on other Nintendo mobile games like Fire Emblem Heroes and Super Mario Run, Pokemon Masters is a lot more complex than you might expect. In some ways, it’s like many other gacha-style mobile games, tempting you to play more with the promise of (possibly) pulling your favorite characters. But Pokemon Masters limits microtransactions to a small corner of the game, leaving room for a surprisingly involved story mode to show through.

I recently played around 45 minutes of Pokemon Masters, and it’s not quite a pick-up-and-play kind of game. The actual narrative part of the story mode, like a lot of Pokemon games, is not particularly complex; you’re a trainer in a new region called Pasio, where Pokemon Trainers form a “Sync Pair” with one partner Pokemon, and your goal is to become the Champion. But each chapter is broken up into several activities centered around battles, from point-and-click exploration of the region to boss fights against a famous Trainer. A big focus of the game is co-op play–it currently doesn’t have a versus mode–but you have to go through a handful of story chapters to unlock the option of playing with others, because there’s just so much to learn.

It’s hard to come to grips with Masters’ 3v3 battles if you’re used to Pokemon’s traditional battle format. You control all three Trainers on your side of the battlefield, as well as their Pokemon–Trainers have support moves they can use just like a Pokemon’s moves. The type-matchup system is simplified in that each Pokemon only has one type and one weakness, and those weaknesses are displayed clearly in battle. The battles take place in real time, and moves are tied to a cooldown timer, so there’s a lot to manage all at once. Do you wait until your move meter fills to three sections so you can use a more powerful move–but possibly get hit a bunch while you wait–or do you forgo attacking entirely in favor of healing a Pokemon or boosting its stats?

In co-op mode, you contend with all the same things and add human communication on top of it. You can play with friends and strangers near and far. Even in person, co-op play isn’t easy; I was surprised at how close some of the battles ended up, even on the easier of the two difficulties available. There’s also a special “unity attack” you can unlock if you chain enough attacks as a team without taking damage, which takes a bit of coordination or luck to execute.

In short: 45 minutes was not enough to completely wrap my head around Pokemon Masters’ battles, and I spend quite a bit of my time thinking about Pokemon as it is.

The gacha part is much more straightforward. Masters features 65 Sync Pairs (a Trainer and their Pokemon) at launch, with a seemingly even distribution of characters from various points in Pokemon’s history to appeal to a wide range of fans. You can unlock some of them during the story mode, I was told, but to get your favorites, you’ll likely have to go “Sync Pair Scouting” and see what you get.

The only thing you can spend real money on is gems, a currency exclusively used for this gacha side of the game (you can also earn gems in-game, though we don’t yet know how much you’ll have to play to get enough for one Sync Pair pull). I spent around 20 fake dollars during the demo to buy enough gems for 10 pulls, so while the pricing may not be final, getting all 65 Sync Pair teams at launch could probably take a good amount of time and/or money. I did get Ruby and Sapphire‘s Flannery, though, which was my main goal.

Strangely, these microtransactions are sequestered in their own side menu, away from the story mode. They’re unobtrusive and largely seem optional if you just want to go through the story mode; you can buy any items you might need, for example, with a different in-game currency. The benefit of going Sync Pair Scouting is potentially unlocking a more powerful pair or powering up one you already have by pulling a duplicate, but the microtransaction system seems very quietly utilized. I’ll have to play more to know for sure, of course, but it has a certain “Pokemon is for everyone” air to it.

Pokemon Masters is coming soon; it’s set for a Summer 2019 launch on iOS and Android, though the exact date hasn’t yet been announced. Pre-registration for the game is now open on both Google Play and the App Store.

Recently, reports emerged that the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con controllers are liable to “drift,” or move without any input from the user. This is a problem. And now Nintendo is addressing it.

Vice obtained an internal Nintendo customer support memo that states that support members are now being told to offer users free repairs for the broken controllers, no questions asked and even if the controllers no longer fall under Nintendo’s warranty. Additionally, those who paid for repairs are being offered refunds.

“Customers will no longer be requested to provide proof of purchase for Joy-Con repairs,” reads a line from the memo. “Additionally it is not necessary to confirm warranty status. If a customer requests a refund for a previously paid Joy-Con repair […] confirm the prior repair and then issue a refund.”

In an official statement, Nintendo said it takes “great pride in creating quality products and we are continuously making improvements to them.” The company noted that it understands some Joy-Cons are “not responding correctly,” and the new, consumer-friendly free repairs and refunds appear to be an attempt on Nintendo’s part to make up for the issues.

In its statement and in the support documentation, Nintendo never acknowledges that the Joy-Cons have a problem from a design standpoint. Nintendo is currently being sued over the so-called “drifting,” so publicly admitting fault in that way is something the company is likely attempting to avoid.

“This drift issue simply prevents consumers from playing games in the way they are supposed to be able to on this device,” attorney Benjamin F. Johns told GameSpot sister site CNET. “It is extremely frustrating and I can understand why so many people are upset. We look forward to prosecuting this case.”

The legal team going after Nintendo have created a page for affected users to sign up to register their complaints. The lawyers, from Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith, are looking to launch a class-action case against Nintendo.

Nintendo will release a new Switch model, the portable-only Switch Lite, in September. Additionally, an improved version of the original Switch will go on sale this August; it boasts a better battery life but other than that it is said to be the same as the launch edition.

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Madden NFL 20‘s official release date is August 2, but with the way EA games work, you can start playing much earlier if you’re willing to pay extra.

EA Access subscribers can start playing a trial of the game beginning on July 25. EA Access has been available on Xbox One since 2014, but the service launches on PlayStation 4 this week, so owners of Sony’s console can play Madden NFL 20 early as well through EA Access.

Madden NFL 20 is also launching on PC, and those with memberships to Origin Access can start playing early, too. There are reports online that Madden NFL 20 early access through Origin Access Premier begins July 24, but this is seemingly unconfirmed.

If history is any indication, the Madden NFL 20 early access trial on console and PC will let you play the full game (or presumably most of it) for a set number of hours, the exact number of which is unclear at this stage. All of your progress is likely to carry forward if you choose to buy the game outright. EA/Origin Access members save 10 percent on all EA digital content, which knocks down the price of Madden NFL 20’s standard version from $60 USD to $54 USD.

Another way to play Madden NFL 20 early is to pre-order one of the game’s more expensive premium versions. The Ultimate Superstar ($100 USD) and Superstar ($80 USD) editions unlock three days early, beginning on July 30. These premium SKUs also include various in-game extras.

Madden NFL 20 promises a series of updates and improvements. Among its most notable new additions is college football; a small selection of college football teams, including Florida and Oklahoma, are featured in the game’s new Face of the Franchise career mode. You can check out a preview of the mode in the video embedded above. Also new for Madden NFL 20 are X-Factor super-abilities for some of the league’s best players.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is just a few months away, but more information about the upcoming first-person shooter keeps trickling out. Ahead of next month’s multiplayer gameplay reveal, Activision pulled the curtain back on a new “robust weapon customization” system.

A blog post on the official Activision website details the breadth of options available once the Modern Warfare reboot launches on October 25 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The system is called “gunsmithing” and it allows you to find “the precise type and style of firepower you require for any type of multiplayer game mode.” You’re allowed to customize both the Primary and Secondary weapons to your heart’s content, changing things like muzzles, optics, magazines, and more. But there’s a catch–you can only fill five slots on any given weapon. So, an assault rifle will have nine different areas–the muzzle, laser, optic, stock, rear grip, magazine, underbarrel, barrel, and a perk–but only five of them can be filled at once.

No other details about gunsmithing were revealed, but the blog post claims that Modern Warfare will boast “an impressive array of options.” The official Call of Duty Twitter account posted a teaser showcasing the many variations available thanks to gunsmithing. You can check out the video below.

We got a chance to check out the game’s new 2v2 Gunfight mode, noting that the mode “is an excellent reminder of what gives Call of Duty’s multiplayer its lasting popularity.” It’s likely that this new mode and gunsmithing will make an appearance during Infinity Ward’s livestream on Thursday, August 1 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST on August 1 (3 AM AET on August 2).

New story details and images for Vader Immortal: Episode II have been revealed. The Star Wars VR experience sees you take control of a nameless salvager who’s been captured by Darth Vader.

“You will get to use the Force in Episode II,” Vader Immortal director Ben Snow said in an interview with StarWars.com. “The way we thought about this was, we wanted to give you the Vader equivalent of Yoda teaching Luke about the Force in Empire Strikes Back. So we wanted it to be slightly darker and more twisted. He talks about the power of the dark side as well as the things you can do with the Force.”

In Vader Immortal: Episode I, your character is captured by the Galactic Empire and taken to Vader’s castle on Mustafar–first seen in the movies in Star Wars: Rogue One. After escaping from the castle’s prison, you discover a lightsaber and attempt to sneak your way to freedom. Things ultimately don’t go very well for you though, and Vader discovers you. Impressed with your skill with a lightsaber, the Sith lord makes you his apprentice–although seemingly only temporarily as you’re just a means to an end for him.

“Our goal is to make the Force in Episode II as satisfying as the lightsaber felt in Episode I,” Snow said. To that end, you’ll primarily be using the Force–and not a lightsaber–to defend yourself and take on the enemies you encounter in Episode II.

New concept art for Vader Immortal: Episode II (embedded above) reveals that the next chapter of the story will include more scenes of Black Bishop as well. Introduced in the first episode, Black Bishop is helping Vader discover the secrets to mastering death, most likely to revive Padmé Amidala. “[Black Bishop] becomes quite important in Episode II, and we learn about his background,” Snow said.

Vader Immortal is canon in the Star Wars expanded universe of stories, taking place directly after the events of Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire (between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One). The VR experience is available for Oculus Quest. A release date for Vader Immortal: Episode II has not been announced.

Fortnite Season 9 is coming to a close very soon. The final set of weekly challenges from this season rolled out earlier this month, and a giant robot recently did battle with the monster that was once encased in ice beneath Polar Peak, changing the landscape of the island and setting the stage for Season 10 to begin in August.

Before we get there, however, developer Epic Games still has some Season 9 content in store for players. Not only is there a Fortnite birthday event coming up this week (which is expected to introduce its own assortment of tasks to complete and rewards to unlock), the studio has released a set of Overtime challenges. These tasks encourage players to make the most of the remaining time in Season 9 by powering through Battle Pass levels and unlocking cosmetics.

The first set of Overtime challenges is now live across all platforms, with additional tasks on the way over the next few days. Like weekly challenges, these are divided up into two categories, one of which is available to everyone, while the other is reserved for those with a Season 9 Battle Pass.

We’ve rounded up all of the Fortnite Season 9 Overtime challenges available so far below. Check back often, as we’ll continue to update this list as more challenges become available. If you need a little assistance with some earlier missions, you can check out our comprehensive Fornite Season 9 challenge guide, which we’ve been updating with guides and helpful information from the very start of the season. It has everything you could possibly need to know to get caught up fast.

Fortnite Season 9 Overtime Challenges

Battle Pass

• Stage 1 of 2: Reach Battle Pass tier 23 — Skin reward
  • Stage 2 of 2: Complete free Overtime challenges (3) — Skin reward
• Stage 1 of 2: Reach Battle Pass tier 71 — Skin reward
  • Stage 2 of 2: Complete free Overtime challenges (6) — Skin reward
• Stage 1 of 2: Reach Battle Pass tier 87 — Skin reward
  • Stage 2 of 2: Complete free Overtime challenges (9) — Skin reward

Free

• Eliminate others with the assistance of a Friend in your party (25) — 2,500 XP reward
• Damage opponents with shotguns [try Party Assist!] (2,500) — 2,500 XP reward
• Visit Loot Lake, Polar Peak, and Pressure Plant — Ready to Fight loading screen

Visit Loot Lake, Polar Peak, And Pressure Plant

Most of the initial Season 9 Overtime challenges are fairly straightforward, but the one that’ll require the most legwork asks you to visit three different locations: Loot Lake, Polar Peak, and Pressure Plant. Fortunately, this task is easy enough to complete. All you need to do is make your way to the aforementioned locations at some point during a match. You don’t need to visit all three within a single round, so you can land in one, get yourself eliminated, then jump into a new match and glide to the others until you’ve visited all three. Complete the challenge and you’ll unlock a special loading screen for your troubles.