Far Cry 5 Has Cosmetic-Only Microtransactions

Far Cry 5 will ship with microtransactions, albeit only for cosmetic items.

Ubisoft PR confirmed the news to GameSpot, saying that the microtransactions will be available in the game’s single-player, co-op and head-to-head multiplayer modes.

Players can opt to speed up their progression with microtransactions, but Ubisoft has confirmed that they will not affect actual gameplay.

Further, Far Cry 5 Executive Producer Dan Hay confirmed that the game’s single-player campaign will be fully playable offline.

An internet connection will still be necessary for the games multiplayer modes, including the feature-filled Arcade mode, which offers an absurdly detailed map editor.

Continue reading…

A Complete Guide to Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire’s Preorder Bonuses

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is set to release on PC, Mac, and Linux on May 8, 2018. For console owners, it’s coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch later this year, but certain retailers already have it up for preorder. This isometric RPG improves on the original with a rebuilt combat engine and a beautiful mixture of old school visuals and modern lighting. It also adds a whole new layer by giving players a ship they can use to sail between islands in an open world. Read our hands-on preview for details.

Continue reading…

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 Progression System Overhaul Revealed

DICE and EA have revealed the sweeping changes being made to Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s controversial progression system in a new update, coming on Wednesday, March 21.

EA is hoping to put to rest “pay-to-win” concerns by making progression linear. Classes, heroes, and ships you use in multiplayer now individually earn experience points. Experience points help you level up, and each level awards a Skill Point, which can be spent on gameplay-changing Star Cards.

Star Cards and other gameplay-changing unlocks will not be purchaseable with either Credits (currency earned through gameplay) or the returning Crystals (paid currency). Star Cards will also no longer be found in Crates.

Continue reading…

Kirby Star Allies Hides Amazing HD Rumble Secret

A hidden use for the Nintendo Switch HD Rumble system has been found in Kirby Star Allies.

Warning: Spoilers follow for Kirby Star Allies

As shown in this video from GameXplain, the secret stage that unlocks after beating the game contains a switch that plays the Green Greens theme… via the Switch controller.

It appears that the game utilizes the haptic motors in the Joy-Con/Pro Controller to recreate the famous Kirby melody.

Similar technology can be seen in the Steam Controller’s boot up and power-down jingles. and Nintendo Labo will also use HD Rumble for a variety of means, including to generate music when playing the cardboard piano and moving a cardboard creation across the floor.

Continue reading…

Tomb Raider Easter Eggs and References You Might Have Missed

While we wouldn’t say the new Tomb Raider movie is a complete remake of the 2013 game reboot, the vast similarities are undeniable.

Here are some of the coolest references, homages, and Easter Eggs we were able to find. Of course, if you haven’t played the game to completion or watched the movie yet, you’re definitely in for some spoilers.

That’s all the cool stuff we were able to spot in the new Tomb Raider movie. Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments.

For more on Tomb Raider, make sure to check out our review of the movie, as well as our explanation of its ending and the biggest WTF questions the movie left us with. And for more on how the movie pulled from the game, check out this comparison of the two side by side.

Continue reading…

Tomb Raider’s Movie Ending Explained

The Tomb Raider franchise has finally returned to the big screen after fifteen years, and while the new film ties up its loose ends nicely, the ending itself might have left you with a few questions. Let’s break down those final few minutes of Tomb Raider. Oh, and if you haven’t seen the movie yet, look away! There are major ending spoilers ahead!

After raiding a tomb and taking down Walton Goggins’ character, Mathias Vogel, by jamming a cursed mummy finger down his throat and then dropping him down a pit (hey, this is a video game movie!), Lara escapes from the island of Yamatai and heads back to her home thinking she probably saved the world from Himiko’s evil ancient deadly virus curse thing. She reconnects with the mysterious Ana Miller – played by Kristin Scott Thomas – at Croft’s corporate headquarters, where Ana tries to get Lara to do the one thing she’s wanted her to do for the entire film: sign paperwork.

Continue reading…

Tomb Raider: 7 Biggest Differences Between the Games and New Movie

The newest iteration of Lara Croft’s origin story, Tomb Raider, borrows heavily from the 2013 video game reboot but severely deviates from its story, characters, and, surprisingly, Lara. In the movie, Lara embarks on her first adventure in search of her missing father. She uncovers the secrets of Yamatai, Himiko, and learns more about her family.

Below are seven of the biggest changes that were made when the new Tomb Raider made the transition from video game to movie.

Warning! Complete spoilers for Tomb Raider (2013) and Tomb Raider (2018) follow.

Lara largely grew up without her father in the video game. Ana, an agent of Trinity, was tasked with getting close to and murdering Lord Richard Croft. She grows too attached to the Croft family and another Trinity agent is assigned to finish the job. Lord Croft’s death is made to look like he committed suicide. Following the incident, family friend Conrad Roth took Lara in his care and she was estranged from the estate that point forward. In the movie, her father was seemingly absent for most of her childhood while he looked for Himiko’s secrets. Lara is assumed to have been under Ana’s care.

Continue reading…