Category: Games

Halo 4 is expected to launch on PC through The Master Chief Collection later this year, representing the sixth and final title that will complete the package. While the game’s public release date hasn’t been announced yet, developer 343 Industries has now revealed the latest details on its beta test, including what’s in it, when it will release, and how you can sign up.

343 is planning to release Halo 4 on PC through its beta test program in October. A very early version of the game launched already for 343’s external partners, but public testers haven’t been allowed in yet. Once the beta goes out to public users, 343 will draw from its pool of Halo Insider members. You can sign up for the free Halo Insider program here and hope for the best.

The beta will bring Halo 4 to PC, and it will also include other updates that will be available across PC and Xbox One. These include new customization options for Halo 4, the new Season 4 content, and cross-play support. You can see a full rundown of what’s in the Halo 4 beta below, but note that these plans are subject to change.

New Features In The Halo 4 Beta

• Customization: Updated customization will be available for Halo 4.
• Forge: Forge will be available for players during this flight.
• Theater: Theater will be available for Halo 4.
• Challenges: The complete Challenge System, including the Challenge Hub screen, will be available during this flight with new Challenges for Halo 4.
• Season 4 Content: Currently TBD based on flight readiness for Ring 3. These pieces require evaluation with both our internal QA and Rings 1 & 2 for if they are ready for flighting prime time.
• Input Based Matchmaking and Crossplay: Currently TBD based on flight readiness for Ring 3.
• Server Region Selection: Currently TBD based on flight readiness for Ring 3.
• Video Graphics Options: Currently TBD based on flight readiness for Ring 3.
• Disable Text Chat Option: A new feature for players to choose to see specific channels of in-game text chat in this flight.

The Halo 4 beta on PC will also include some Campaign and Spartan Ops missions, but 343 has not yet decided on which ones will be available. That said, the studio did say the beta will include all difficult levels, along with co-op support for online play.

For multiplayer, there will be social and competitive games, along with an assortment of maps to be announced later. Here is what we know so far:

• Social Games: 4v4, 8p FFA, 12p Infection, 8v8
• Competitive: We are still working through what Ranked playlists will be available
• Maps: We are still working through what maps will be available

And finally, there will be a number of settings and options available on PC in the beta test, including window mode, aspect ratio, framerate limit, graphics quality, and others. You can see a complete rundown of these below.

Settings and Options

• Controls: Configure Mouse & Keyboard and Configure Gamepad
• Video: Field-Of-View, Vehicle Field-Of-View, Gamma, Window Mode, Aspect Ratio, Resolution Scale, V-Sync, HUD Anchoring, Unified Medal Display, Framerate Limit, Graphics Quality, and more.
• Audio: Game Volume including Menu Music Volume, Game Music Volume, Effects Volume, Voice Chat Volume. Also, Voice Chat Channel, and Push to Talk Voice Chat.
• Gameplay: Show Challenge Notifications, Allow Untrusted Files, File Share Trust Level, and Credits.
• Network: Network and Relays
• Accessibility: Subtitles, Change Language, Convert Text-To-Speech, Convert Speech-To-Text, and Text Chat Availability

In other news about Halo: MCC, Microsoft has teased that maps from the canceled free-to-play Russian game Halo Online might be on the way, while an unreleased Halo: Reach helmet is coming to the game in the future.

In 2015, Microsoft worked with Saber Interactive on a free-to-play Halo game for Russia called Halo Online. It was short-lived, however, as Microsoft canceled it before it even left beta.

The game may get a new lease on life, as Microsoft has teased that maps from Halo Online could be incorporated into Halo: The Master Chief Collection in the future.

Design director Max Szlagor said in a blog post that included among the many, many other new features that are being discussed for MCC are Halo Online maps. “Is there an opportunity to bring over some of the Halo Online maps? There’s a lot of options out there and it’s all dependent on what’s feasible and everything takes time and has to be measured against the bug list, backlog, and feature priorities,” Szlagor said. “All in all, we are definitely looking towards more goodness and continuing with more seasons.”

The original Halo Online ran on a “highly modified” version of the Halo 3 engine, and Microsoft says it was “optimized for smooth performance” on lower-end computers. Its announcement in 2015 was a big deal given that Microsoft hadn’t released a Halo game on PC in years before then. The game was only ever officially released in Russia, where it was published by Innova Systems, but now it appears people around the world may have a chance at experiencing it.

Given that Halo Online ran on a modified version of the Halo 3 engine, it’s not immediately clear how it might be incorporated into MCC. It’s still early days, of course, and Microsoft is only talking about Halo Online maps in an exploratory means for now.

Microsoft might have canceled Halo Online, but the company believes in the free-to-play model, as it’s been announced that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be free.

Halo developer 343 Industries has provided an update on some of the features coming to The Master Chief Collection in the future, including cross-play.

In a blog post, the studio said cross-play between Xbox One and PC is currently “in test with our QA team,” which suggests it may be ready for release relatively soon. More specifically, 343 said cross-play and other new features could begin to appear in MCC through an upcoming beta test, or “flight,” for Halo 4 on PC. The beta test will also be available on Xbox One. To get in, you’ll need to sign up for the free Halo Insider program and hope to be chosen.

Cross-play will come to MCC with another new feature, the ability to select your preferred input device for matchmaking. This will give players the ability to choose who they play against when it comes to controls–that could be a big deal because mouse & keyboard is generally understood to be a more precise manner of controls compared to a gamepad. You can see a work-in-progress screenshot of the new menu below.

In addition to cross-play, the upcoming beta test for MCC will include other much-requested features such as the ability to choose your server by region and new customization options for Halo 4, which is the sixth and final game in MCC coming to PC. You can see a rundown of the new features for the upcoming beta test below, but note that everything is subject to change.

New Features

• Customization: Updated customization will be available for Halo 4.
• Forge: Forge will be available for players during this flight.
• Theater: Theater will be available for Halo 4.
• Challenges: The complete Challenge System, including the Challenge Hub screen, will be available during this flight with new Challenges for Halo 4.
• Season 4 Content: Currently TBD based on flight readiness for Ring 3. These pieces require evaluation with both our internal QA and Rings 1 & 2 for if they are ready for flighting prime time.
• Input Based Matchmaking and Crossplay: Currently TBD based on flight readiness for Ring 3.
• Server Region Selection: Currently TBD based on flight readiness for Ring 3.
• Video Graphics Options: Currently TBD based on flight readiness for Ring 3.
• Disable Text Chat Option: A new feature for players to choose to see specific channels of in-game text chat in this flight.

Looking out further, 343 said “really big features” like the custom game browser will be released later, and in stages. “We’d start by getting it into flighting once we feel good about it, and at this point, it’s going to be post-Halo 4,” 343 said. “Then we’d roll it out for one game in the collection to properly evaluate. We want to see not only how it works, but how the community uses it in a more public setting. And then, we’ll take those learnings to iterate and roll it out to the rest of the games.”

343 also shared a list of features that are currently “actively in development,” and there are a lot that the studio is preparing alongside its development partners, including Saber Interactive. Some features that are planned, but only in the design stage, include mod support and bringing some PC features to Xbox. And finally, features that are in the “backlog” for consideration even further down the track include split-screen and HDR support on PC.

ACTIVELY IN DEVELOPMENT

• UI/UX Improvements around navigation, roster, customization, and many more areas of the game
  • Saber is in the process of fixing integration bugs around this work
• View Model Adjustment for all games
  • Saber is in the process of fixing integration bugs around this work as well as bringing this to all the other games in the collection
• Steam Account Linking
  • This is lower priority so for now, it’s sitting in a separate branch. We’ll pick this back up once higher priority features are completed.
• In-Game FPS Cap/Adjustments
  • In test with our QA team
• PC File Share
  • Still making good progress here but this is a large feature and is taking a lot of engineering and design iteration time
• Additional Video Settings/Options
  • In test with our QA team
• Custom Game Browser
  • Another large feature that we are taking our time with
• Input-based Matchmaking
  • In test with our QA team
• Regional Server Selection
  • In test with our QA team
• Cross-Play between Xbox & PC
  • In test with our QA team
• Double Key Binds for all games
  • Saber is in the process of fixing integration bugs around this work
• Better ways to Report Players
  • This work is now being bucketed alongside our file share work, as that stream progresses, so will this
• Per Game Audio Options
  • Work is starting to come in for this now, we should be transitioning to testing soon
• Additional season content (season 4+)
  • Looking really good, I think you all will be excited
• Text Chat Improvements (added)
  • More on what we’re planning here in a later update

IN DESIGN ITERATION

• Additional Mod Support
  • Part of our plan for next year currently. We will have additional information in a later update

• VFR Improvements to Reach & H2A
  • This should move up before the next blog but will depend on how our H4 integration and investigation into these goes
• Bringing PC Features to Console (Like FOV Sliders)
  • Hoping to move this into development soon
• Additional Accessibility Support

IN BACKLOG PENDING FURTHER DISCUSSIONS

• Idle System Improvements
• Split Screen on PC
• HDR Support on PC

Chinese internet giant Tencent continues its push into the world of video games. The company has acquired a “major stake” in the Swedish game developer, 10 Chambers, a studio founded in 2015 by members of the Payday development team that released the sci-fi FPS GTFO as their first game in December 2019.

10 Chambers creative director Ulf Andersson said in a statement that Tencent is the right partner to help the company reach “new heights.”

“As we’re closing in on six years of development of GTFO, we’ve realized that our ambitious long-term vision for our studio will need more muscle,” Andersson said. “We needed to find a partner that gives us the creative freedom to reach these new heights, while at the same time support our long-term commitment to the GTFO community. For the future of the studio as a whole; it makes it even more exciting.”

10 Chambers chief strategy officer Oscar J-T Holm said the studio will look to expand in terms of hiring. The extra resources from the Tencent investment will allow GTFO to become an “even more terrifying experience,” Holm said.

For its part, Tencent Games vice president Eddie Chan said, “We are delighted to partner with the creative talents of 10 Chambers and look forward to supporting long-term development of the studio to achieve their vision in the co-op FPS genre.”

The financial terms of Tencent’s investment into 10 Chambers were not disclosed. Whatever the case, 10 Chambers becomes just the latest game developer to receive investment from Tencent.

Tencent owns League of Legends developer Riot Games and Path of Exile studio Grinding Gear. Additionally, Tencent paid $8.6 billion to acquire Clash of Clans developer Supercell in the largest video game acquisition in history.

Tencent also has minority investments in Epic Games, Bluehole, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, Platinum Games, Paradox, and Funcom.

In the US, the Trump administration is reportedly reaching out to Tencent’s US companies to ask them to send over details on their data-security systems regarding how they handle the personal data of their American users.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is coming to Switch on October 16, and ahead of release Nintendo has shown off exactly how the game works and what you’ll get in the box. This overview trailer shows how you can build a track within your home, and the various options available to you.

There are details in the trailer about how items can change the speed of your kart in real life as well as in the game, and you can race at up to 200CC. You assemble the four cardboard gates in the box as you see fit, and then design a track by driving through them–the path you take between gates determines the track layout.

It’s recommended that you have at least a 10x12ft space to work in, and although the trailer is not explicit about needing hardwood floors, there certainly hasn’t been any rugs or carpet in any of the marketing materials released so far.

There are 24 grand prix races in total to complete, and there are different skins you can lay over the tracks which will affect hazards you encounter. You’ll race against the Koopalings, rather than the full Mario Kart roster.

New vehicles and costumes can be unlocked as you play, so there’s plenty of incentive to keep making new tracks. The full trailer is a bit over 5 minutes long, and should give you a good idea of whether or not this is something you’d enjoy–or can accommodate in your house.

Developer Velan Studios has also released a video, through Nintendo, explaining how the game came together. You can watch it below.

GameSpot recently took part in a preview session for Mario Kart Home Circuit, and here’s what we learned.

Control has beguiled players with its mysterious setting, The Oldest House, with its weird environments and twisty layouts. But it turns out there’s some interesting stuff happening outside the game’s departmental setting as well.

Lance McDonald, who has become well-known for his game hacks, has produced a camera hack for the PS4 version of Control, and in his brief video of the tool on Twitter he’s uncovered an interesting detail. Taking the camera outside of The Oldest House shows off the streets, which you don’t see during gameplay, and there’s more going on out there than you might expect.

There are detailed buildings and streets out there, including a truck parked around the corner that is not visible at any point during the game. Better yet, the traffic outside seems to obey the road rules, queuing up at the lights. This outside area is curiously detailed, considering that you never venture out there during the game.

Hopefully McDonald will share anything else interesting he finds in Control. Previous interesting discoveries from McDonald include a hidden middle finger in God of War, some cut content from Sekiro, and some information about how P.T. works that somehow makes the Silent Hills demo even scarier.

Control is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, but will only be available as a free upgrade for owners of the Ultimate Edition. The game’s second DLC pack, AWE, released recently, directly tying this game to Remedy’s earlier title Alan Wake.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has arrived on PS4 and Xbox One, and…well, it’s about time. This direct sequel to 1998’s Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped picked up right where the series left off, complete with a punishing difficulty and a lot of running into or out of the screen.

This is actually, technically, the 8th Crash Bandicoot platformer, if we put aside the numerous handheld spin-off titles. Wrath of Cortex, Twinsanity, Crash of the Titans, and Mind Over Mutant are all being ignored here, with Crash Bandicoot 4 returning the series to its roots and following on directly from the classic PlayStation trilogy.

Reviews have been coming in, and by and large they’re heralding Crash Bandicoot 4 as a sharp, fun return for the character and series, which was originally developed by Naughty Dog (Uncharted, The Last of Us). While some reviews have skewed more negatively than others, the game is sitting on an 86 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic from 32 reviews.

The game, which features new competitive and co-op modes, is from developer Toys for Bob–which previously handed the excellent Switch port of Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy.

Here are some of the reviews Crash Bandicoot 4 has received so far, including GameSpot’s own.

GameSpot gave Crash Bandicoot 4 an 8/10 in its own review. “Even more so than playing the N.Sane Trilogy, which literally remade the original Crash games from my youth, playing Crash 4 felt like getting back in touch with the series,” reviewer Mike Epstein wrote. “It’s an injection of new ideas into now-classic gameplay that surprises and delights, even as it feels like a homecoming. Truly, games like this are why we come running back to long-dormant franchises with open arms.”

• Game: Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Developer: Toys For Bob
• Release date: October 2
• Price: $60

GameSpot — 8/10

“Even more so than playing the N.Sane Trilogy, which literally remade the original Crash games from my youth, playing Crash 4 felt like getting back in touch with the series. It’s an injection of new ideas into now-classic gameplay that surprises and delights, even as it feels like a homecoming. Truly, games like this are why we come running back to long-dormant franchises with open arms.” — Mike Epstein [Full Review]

Destructoid — 9/10

“Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a strong return for the series, and a showcase of what might have been if we got a true follow-up to Crash 3. I sincerely hope that Activision entrusts Toys for Bob (and Vicarious Visions) with the keys to the Crash kingdom from here on out. I wanna see more of the little guy.” — Chris Carter [Full Review]

Game Informer — 8.5/10

“In many ways, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time feels like a game that shouldn’t work. Single-player, mascot-driven, hardcore platformers are few and far between these days. Moreover, most franchises born in the mid-‘90s have had to continually reboot themselves to match the tastes of an ever-changing market. At its core, Crash 4 remains rooted to the old way of doing things, but that’s not a bad thing. The visuals are cleaner now and Crash has a few new gimmicks, but if you squint, Crash 4 looks like the same old platformer you’ve always loved.” — Ben Reeves [Full Review]

IGN — 8/10

“Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is both respectful of the series that came before it while also giving it the modern update it needed with new gameplay, depth of character, and a beautiful look. Toys for Bob just gets Crash. Its fresh new ideas, from big gameplay additions like new playable characters to supplementary but no less enjoyable aspects like the N. Verted mode to quality-of-life improvements like the shadow circle under Crash’s jumps, all now feel as natural to Crash as though they’d been there all along.” — Jonathon Dornbush [Full Review]

VG24/7 –3/5

“The graphics, the art direction, the enemy design and the sound really can’t be faulted. It’s a shame, then, that some of the level design choices don’t really pair up with the engine Toys for Bob has built this love-letter to 90s platforming games in. Loose and floaty physics, an abundance of different mechanics that often feel part-baked, and some design choices that feel sadistic – rather than simply difficult – leave this approach to Crash Bandicoot feeling less like a true sequel, and more like a licensed spin-off.” — Dom Peppiatt [Full Review]

Polygon — No Score

“It’s impossible not to at least respect the experiment of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. It’s a sequel that’s 20 years late, and to honor that idea, Toys for Bob seems to have made the best-looking HD PlayStation 1 platformer of all time, complete with all the frustrations that gaming has outgrown in the last two decades. Who knows — perhaps in one of the other dimensions that Crash travels to in the game, there’s a world where Crash Bandicoot gets a modernized update that brings the series into the present. But in our world, Crash 4 is stubbornly stuck in the past.” — Austen Goslin [Full Review]