The first trailer for Werewolves Within has been released. The comedy horror movie is based on Ubisoft’s VR game of the same name. It hits theaters on June 25 and On Demand on July 2.
The movie is set in the small town of Beaverfield. A snowstorm has trapped the residents in the town, and a terrifying werewolf is picking them off, one-by-one. The movie centers on forest ranger Finn and a postal worker Cecily, who team up to find out which of the locals is the murderous beast. It looks like great mix of laugh and scares–check the trailer out below:
Werewolves Within stars Sam Richardson (Veep, Promising Young Woman) and Milana Vayntrub (Silicon Valley, This is Us) as Finn and Cecily, plus Sarah Burns (Barry), Catherine Curtin (Orange Is The New Black), Harvey Guillén (What We Do In The Shadows), Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll), and Cheyenne Jackson (30 Rock). It’s directed by Josh Ruben, who previously helmed last year’s comedy horror Scare Me.
In a recent interview with Daily Dead, Ruben spoke about what viewers can expect from the movie. “The one thing I can tell you is that for Werewolves Within, we definitely upped the ante on the horror side,” he said. “Also, I say this as fully biased and as unbiased as I possibly can, but it really delivers because of the cast. The cast is out of control, and each and every one of them have so excelled in their careers individually because of how talented they are. I think one of the biggest reasons that I was able to put this awesome cast together is because I’d put in the work over many years where I was trying to staff up as a creator, but also, I just wanted to be a good person, a nice person that people wanted to work with.”
The Werewolves Within game was released in 2016 for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. As in the movie, players must work out which member of a town is a werewolf in disguise, although the setting in the game is a medieval-style fantasy town.
If a now-removed listing on the Polish PlayStation website is to be believed, PlayStation Plus members are soon going to get video content included with their subscription. It’s a move that would give Sony’s service something that isn’t available to Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass subscribers, but details are scarce at the moment.
Spotted by VGC prior to being taken down, the listing on the Sony website described PS Plus Video Pass, a service available to subscribers in the country from tomorrow, April 22, until the same date in 2022. This would come just before Sony stops offering video content for sale via the PlayStation Store, and appears to give access to big Sony movies like Venom and Zombieland: Double Tap. They’re shown in a separate, also-removed image that was on the Polish website.
Image hosted on PlayStation website
PlayStation Plus is already required to play most PS4 and PS5 games online, though you don’t need it to play free-to-play games, and Microsoft is planning to also remove its Xbox Live Gold requirement on those games in the future. PS Plus also gives you access to several free games each month, which are yours to keep for the lifetime of your subscription. Since the PS5 launched, they’ve generally included at least one PS5 game each month, and some have even only been available via PS Plus initially. You can read our explainer for more on PS Plus, and check out the best PS5 games you can play right now.
We’ve reached out to Sony for comment on whether PS Plus Video Pass will be coming to North America. It would certainly help add more value to Sony’s side at a time when Xbox Game Pass doesn’t have a real challenger–and even offered one of Sony’s games at no additional cost on launch day.
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Sony has seemingly accidentally released information about an unannounced PlayStation Plus Video Pass, which could add movie and TV content to the existing PS Plus subscription service.
Spotted by VGC, the PlayStation Poland website added – and then quickly removed – a banner that showed off the apparent service, accompanied by text that, when translated, reads:
“A new benefit available for a limited time on PlayStation Plus… PS Plus Video Pass is a trial service active 22.04.21 – 22.04.22. The subscription benefit is available to PS Plus users in Poland.”
Source: VGC
The banner, seen above, includes images of Venom, Zombieland: Double Tap, and Bloodshot – all of which are movies made by Sony Pictures. It’s possible that Sony plans to use its own movie portfolio to add value to its PS Plus subscription benefits.
Given the timing mentioned, it may be that the announcement went live ahead of its official announcement tomorrow. The wording also suggests that this could be a region-specific trial of the new pass in Poland. We’ve contacted Sony for comment.
If the pass works as suggested, it could be seen as a way for Sony to add value to its PS Plus service, especially in the context of Xbox Game Pass’ success. It could even be part of the response to Xbox Game Pass mentioned late last year, when SIE President Jim Ryan asked if Sony had a plan to counter Game Pass by saying, “There is actually news to come, but just not today.”
The Microsoft subscription – which offers unlimited access to a selection of games, as well as subscriptions to other services at higher tiers – has been hugely successful, passing 18 million members early this year.
Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].
Netflix highlighted The Witcher, Sex Education, You, and Money Heist as some of the “big hits” that would be returning with additional seasons later this year while also spotlighting “an exciting array” of original movies, including the likes of large scale, star-driven features like Red Notice and Don’t Look Up, which both appeared on Netflix’s sizzle reel for 2021 at the beginning of the year.
Alongside its sizzle reel, Netflix pledged to release at least one new movie a week throughout 2021 for a total of at least 70. Other notable titles announced at the start of the year included Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised, the superhero comedy Thunder Force, and the action film Escape from Spiderhead, which stars Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett.
Netflix has also been investing more in anime content after noting an exceptional uptake in anime streaming on the platform, with statistics showing that over 100 million households globally watched at least one anime title on Netflix between October 2019 and September 2020 — a noted increase of more than 50% on the previous year’s figures.
With dozens of new shows and movies on the horizon, there’s going to be plenty for everyone to stream over the coming months, though The Witcher Season 2 is likely to be one of the most anticipated titles given the success of its debut season. Henry Cavill shared a photo earlier this month to celebrate the second season wrapping production.
Season 2 of The Witcher will pick up with Geralt of Rivia taking Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen, where he will strive to protect Ciri from the mysterious power she possesses inside while the Continent’s kings, elves, humans, and demons strive for supremacy outside the walls of the castle, located within the Kingdom of Kaedwen.
Ever since the original Chivalry: Medieval Warfare in 2012, we’ve entered into a sort of renaissance of brutal precision-based competitive melee combat games. From big-budget outings such as For Honor to big indie projects like Mount & Blade: Bannerlord and Mordhau, it’s a game genre that has certainly found its footing. Now, Torn Banner Studios is back with a sequel that’s bigger, better, and bloodier than ever.
Earlier this month I got the chance to check out Chivalry 2 for a few hours and came away with my adrenaline pumping and heart racing, eagerly waiting for more.
Big Bloody Battles
The best parts about the previous game are carried over and improved here. This is still a game about brutally competitive PvP combat that hinges on quick reflexes and precise strikes. You can be an archer too if you want, but that’s always felt like a second-thought that was more situational than just picking up an axe or sword.
There are still a mixture of game modes from the more straight-forward Team Deathmatch to the grand and cinematic Team Objective modes. And most importantly, there is that perfect balance of Monty Python-style humor mixed with weighty and visceral medieval battles. Mashing the ‘yell’ button while running down a hillside with my allies really gets you in the mood immediately.
In Chivalry, everyone has three basic attacks with their melee weapons: horizontal slash, vertical slash, and a stab. Of course you can get more complex if you’d like by feinting, comboing attacks together, and turning your body into swings to try and land the start of the attack sooner on your enemies. I played with mouse & keyboard mostly in first-person (you can switch to third-person now, if you want) and after a couple of games the muscle memory started to kick in.
Combat in Chivalry is one of the best examples in a game ever of “easy to learn, difficult to master” as the concept of swinging and aiming your sword is dead simple. But when you’re on the receiving end is where the real skill comes out. Blocking attacks is a careful exchange because you essentially have to line up your weapon with the tip of theirs at just the right moment. If you block perfectly enough, it’ll stagger them back a bit and give you an opening to counter and—better yet—if you can anticipate their exact strike and replicate it back after a perfect parry then it’s an almost always guaranteed hit.
Dueling another skilled combatant in Chivalry 2 feels like an aggressive, highly-competitive dance. I can’t think of many games that can cause my adrenaline to spike so rapidly as when I’m in the middle of a tense 1v1 fight to the death in Chivalry. It’s absolutely exhilarating to block a slash to your side, flick the mouse up and swing down at their head as you clang off their sword, side-step away from their stab, and crouch down to swipe at their waist, kick their guard, and finish them off with a stab to the heart. Just be careful—friendly fire is a very real concern in this game and you have to always be aware of where your weapon is swinging.
Those intricate moments of back-and-forth between two warriors are sacred and special, rivaling even the best duels from Game of Thrones. And my goodness is it pretty.
Chivalry 2 doesn’t shy away from blood and gore either. Limbs get lopped off left and right and seeing heads roll is as common as a stray arrow on the battlefield. Speaking of which—you can pick up and use pretty much anything you see. I’ve tossed lumber at enemies, used decapitated heads as rocks to toss at opponents, and at one point even chucked a Blacksmith’s anvil. It’s truly a “by any means necessary” ordeal here. You can even keep fighting with a missing limb or get back on your feet after getting knocked down if you beat to death your opponent with your bare hands before they finish the job.
Epic Battlefields
Perhaps the most exciting part about Chivalry 2 is the massive 64-player battlefield size. Now, we’re fighting it out with 32 warriors fighting for the blue and white, aka Agatha Knights, against 32 warriors on the red and black, aka Mason Order. That new battle size is immediately put to good use because at the start of each match, a “commander” NPC on each side is giving a speech to get the troops riled up and the bloodbath begins with a classic medieval charge towards the middle where steel meets steel.
When I used to play the original Chivalry pretty much daily, I mostly did so as a duelist. Early on there weren’t even official ‘Duel’ game modes, so instead players would host servers with custom “honor system” rules that you’d respect two people dueling and wait your turn off to the side. You’d initiate a duel by flicking the mouse and down and crouching to simulate a bow and then fight it out. It was the type of mutual, agreed upon sportsmanship that you rarely find online these days.
But the real heart and soul of Chivalry is undoubtedly the Team Objective mode. These fights play out like actual cinematic battles you’d see in a Lord of the Rings film and are split into multiple phases.
For example, the Objective battle we got to try tasked one team with breaking into a castle and storming the keep to kill the king. First, the attackers must escort ladder towers up to the walls by moving them across the field like an Overwatch payload. Then, after storming the walls, they must capture the courtyard, followed by burning the peasant huts, and then escorting more ladder towers up to the keep.
Once inside the keep, the top defending player is assigned as the king and gets buffs to health, damage, etc. The attackers win if they can take down the king. Each phase of the battle is timed and if the defenders can prevent the attackers from reaching the next phase before the time runs out, they win.
As much as I loved the Team Objective mode, which is just insanely polished and full of amazing details, I think I most enjoyed my time on the Tournament Grounds map. This area is laid out as if a jousting match has just concluded and you storm the grounds to fight it out. It’s all so silly to see the light-hearted tournament décor juxtaposed with blood, guts, and corpses.
It’s a tough, brutal, and immensely satisfying game that rewards teamwork and real skill. The changes made to the physics of combat and extra maneuvers they’ve added seem to be enough to combat the exploits that experts found in the original, which should help this one earn a strong and steady following.
Chivalry 2 thankfully doesn’t seem to be trying to reinvent the wheel when it releases on PC and Xbox One, Series X|S, PS4, and PS5 this June 8. On PC it will debut on the Epic Games Store and come to Steam and other storefronts after one year.
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David Jagneaux loves games of all kinds, but especially VR games. Chat with him on Twitter at @David_Jagneaux.
Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… releases this Friday for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, and it’s actually an upgraded version of a game originally released back in 2010. That game had quite the cult following–hence its eventual sequel–and one artist has shown just how dedicated Nier fans can be by making incredibly detailed origami figures of the main characters.
Finnish artist Juho Könkkölä created origami models of the game’s protagonist, who may or may not be named Nier, as well as fan-favorite Emil, and each figure was made from just one piece of paper. Considering the level of detail on the figures, this is pretty incredible. The protagonist doesn’t have a face, but he does hold a weapon and has considerable detail on his clothing and hair.
Emil is even more impressive. The character, who serves as the franchise’s poster boy of sorts, features a little scarf, skeletal limbs, a detailed staff, and his famous “head.” The character also serves as the mask for Nier mastermind Yoko Taro, who almost never shows his face during interviews and public appearances.
Between preparation and folding, making the figures took 210 hours. They were folded from a square piece of paper before being wetted and molded, as you can see for some of the details in Emil’s face. They’re even to scale, with the adult protagonist towering over Emil.
When Nier Replicant releases on April 23, it will be 11 years and one day since the original version released. In addition to upgraded visuals and retooled music, it also features completely overhauled combat that feels similar to Nier Automata and some new content that was not in the original release.
DayZ‘s 1.12 update is live, and it’s a big one. The new update introduces sweeping changes to both PVP and Player Vs Infected combat, making new playstyles and strategies more viable. The update includes changes to firearms, ammo, and protective gear, and even adds new weapons and items into the game.
Changes have been made to the way infected act, making them both deadlier and harder to damage in close melee combat. To balance that out, they are now a little slower to react to sounds, meaning it will be easier to avoid a combat situation if you’re stealthy. Infected will also lose interest if they lose a target, and will no longer attack unconscious players.
Other changes will affect the way PVP combat feels, thanks to changes to weaponry and armor. A handful of new weapons have been added, including the Pioneer rifle and two new knives. Similar weapons have been differentiated so that each weapon has its own distinct advantage in combat–for example, non-automatic rifles are now stronger and more accurate than their automatic counterparts, while smaller weapons and suppressed weapons will no longer be able to be heard from a large distance.
Players will also have more chances to avoid instant death, with ballistic protective gear now making it more likely that players will be knocked down instead of instantly killed. Landmines are also no longer a one-hit kill for healthy players.
Other additions include new food items and a new agriculture system that allows players to grow food inside greenhouses, including the new food crop of potatoes (which now have to be peeled before eating).
The balancing changes and fixes made in this update are extensive, so check out the full patch notes below.
ADDED
Variety of small food items
Pioneer rifle
Fange Knife
Kukri Knife
Sickle
Farming Hoe
Broom
New action to disarm land mines with the right tool
Tritium sights to the ATOG backup sights
You now have to peel potatoes to make them edible
Greenhouses can now be used for agriculture
Flags can now be cut into rags using a knife
Vehicle batteries are now recharged while the engine is running and consumed by the headlights
Vehicle attachments can now be locked in place using a screwdriver (interiors) and wrench (doors)
Tooltips for attachment slots
Empty attachment slots are highlighted on mouse-over
Added over 100 new error codes to the connection issues and kicks
FIXED
Client crash related to inventory swapping
Fixed a server error related to player-restraining
Server error when attaching barbed wire to a base building fence
Improved client performance when looking at a pile of items
Items dropped inside a tree or bush would sometimes levitate
Flash grenades would not explode if destroyed by force
Belts would not show damaged textures when damaged
Fixed an exploit to cancel the injured animation
The stealth kill could be executed with a ruined weapon
Fixed an exploit for prolonged blocking
Cooking pots could be buried even when placed inside a stone oven
When observed from a distance, shattered glass on an M3S appeared to be intact
Removing items from the M3S inventory did not work properly
It was not possible to repair the engine of the Sarka 120
Car headlights could be switched on even if the battery was depleted
Car headlights would continue to shine, even if the battery was destroyed
The M3S battery could be removed while the truck was running
The Zucchini and Leather Sewing Kit are rendered better when rotated in the inventory
Camera clipping issues in the city police station
The Ghillie suit and rifle wrap could not be repaired with a Sewing Kit
Knives in attachment slots couldn’t be used to interact with other items
Placing items in a tent would cause them to sink into the ground
Placing items in specific buildings would cause them to be spawned halfway underground
Certain loot spawns would cause items to appear in weird positions (levitating, under tables, etc.)
Opened doors from greenhouses appeared to be closed from a distance
Fixed a roof collision preventing the player from entering a building
The village bus stop had some minor clipping with the bus schedule
The road signs at the crossing between Bor, Komarovo, and Pavlovo would give false directions
Fixed some exploits in buildings
Players could still connect to a server which is in the one minute period of the shutdown, resulting in a generic kick message
The list of servers was overlapping with the filters section on some resolutions in the in-game server browser
Mouse cursor got stuck in the centre of the screen while joining a server with the BattlEye approval message
Blurry info text in the login/logout window
Player would not sit down if already performing other gesture and logging off
AI behavior sounds weren’t synced for players
Names of stairs on the base building fence were switched
Wrong “Next part” action widget on the base building fence
Long item names were cut off in the left bottom corner of HUD
Emotes were not greyed out properly in the emote menu when in prone
Equip or swap of an item in a players inventory was not always working
A collision part of the Large Tent was scaled badly
It was possible to destroy a garden plot
Items would disappear inside a garden plot when dropped on top of it
Infected or animals could get stuck mid-air when hit by a vehicle
The damage indicator on tent doors was not showing the correct damage state
Wrong melee impact sounds of various tools
Blood loss effect (desaturation) could not be seen after re-logging
Dynamic events (such as crashed helicopter) could disappear close to the player
The player could avoid the limping animation by performing an action while in prone
Wrong initial speed multiplier for BK43 and Magnum
CHANGED
The warning for a full stomach will be displayed earlier before reaching the threshold for vomiting
Rebalanced the nutrition values, inventory sizes, and how filling each edible item is
Farming actions have been moved from plants to plant slots for easier targeting
All plants now have different growth times (between 20-50 minutes)
Adjusted nutrition values of horticulture vegetables according to their growth time
Fertilizing now increases the yield of plants instead of their growth time
Increased the chance for plant infestation
Plants will spoil after a while when being fully grown
Slicing a pumpkin now yields two pumpkin slices
The worse the condition of a vegetable, the fewer seeds it will give when cut
Unpacking seeds now spawns paper
Rebalanced ammunition types
The friction of bullets has been increased to make the difference between ammunition types more visible
Increased the penetration of high caliber ammunition
Heavy impact rounds slow down the player and apply more shock damage
Efficient ballistic rounds keep the speed (and therefore bullet energy and resulting damage) longer and are thus more efficient at long distance
.380 and 5.45×39 are the weakest in their category but are found more often in the world
Special types:
.22 is used by peculiar weapons (MKII that is integrally suppressed and Sporter that is an almost recoil-less precise semi-auto rifle)
12 gauge rubber slug deal extreme shock damage at close range
12 gauge buckshot slow down much more
The typical speed of bullets have been adjusted to be equal to the initial speed (temporary and will be reintroduced later)
Modern firearms require more maintenance when used
Adjusted the audible range of firearm shots based on the caliber they use
Increased the precision of pistols, sawed-off rifles, bolt action rifles, hunting, and sniper rifles
1PN51 scope has weapon iron sights allowed with some weapons
Decreased the precision of assault rifles
Re-adjusted air friction for bullets
Initial speed of bullets is lower and typical speed is higher (based on min/max speed for the specific kind of bullet)
Initial speed is modified by weapons and is balanced to make non automatic weapons deal more damage per bullet than automatic ones
Damage is now correctly calculated as a proportion of impact speed over typical speed
Heavy Impact rounds no longer deal increased shock damage, but retain this damage for longer distances
Increased the damage of shotgun pellets
Lowered leg health and armor against projectiles, increasing chances of a broken leg during a firefight
Stab vest now offers less ballistic protection than the ballistic vest
Melee damage using impractical items is now weaker than fists
Slightly increased fist damage
Increased the damage of most tools to be more efficient than fists in combat
Reduced blood loss from a bleeding source
Slightly delayed the recovery from shock damage after receiving it
Increased the chance of stunning an infected during melee combat
Reduced the damage to gear dealt by the infected
Infected now react less to the shots of the IJ-70 and the Sporter 22
Players are no longer targeted by infected while unconscious
Light melee attacks have a lower chance of staggering infected (blunt melee weapons with higher shock damage having a higher chance to stagger infected)
Infected are now tougher in combat
Melee attacks on infected are now more consistent in terms of the number of attacks required to take one down
Improved efficiency of backstabbing against infected (executed with sharp weapons)
Infected now react to players interacting with doors
Infected react less to suppressed shots and more to louder shots
Infected give up searching for players faster
Reduced the efficiency of the scream of the infected
AI is no longer taking damage from damage zones (fireplaces/barbed wire)
Land mines can no longer be disarmed using the Bear Trap (killing the player in the process)
Matchboxes can now be combined but not split
When focusing on a specific part of a car/base building object etc., the name of that specific section will be displayed in the widget
Reduced the audible range of the reload sounds by 50 percent
When having your hands cuffed with barbed wire, struggling can now cause bleeding
You can now choose to stop an ongoing connection attempt and connect to the currently selected server instead
Lightning is now lighting up the environment for a bit longer
Vehicle batteries with metal wires attached can no longer be placed in cargo
Burning road flares can be destroyed by placing them in a fireplace
You can only gain extra “rewards” from fishing when fishing in calm waters
Adjusted Xmas lights on tents to be lighter on performance
Tweaks to the display of the server browser for better readability
Updated the credits
CENTRAL ECONOMY
Added the 15-round SG5-K mag to the spawn (in the world and attached to the weapon)
Increased the amount of food spawning at the spawn areas and in the center of the maps
Reduced the amount of food spawning in high-tier areas
Increased the spawn of .380 and 5.45×39 ammunition
Increased the chance of weapons to spawn with magazines
Police infected are now spawning near police cars
Adjusted loot spawns in the greenhouses
SERVER
Added: ServerLog [Warning] message when the server could not disconnect players in time before shutting down
Added: ServerLog [Warning] message when there is no Shutdown message present in messages.xml
Added: ServerLog [Shutdown] message indicating how long until next shutdown
Added: ServerLog [Shutdown] message indicating the timing when the server saves, locks, and kicks all players
Added: RCON messages Lock and Unlock to perform these actions on the server
Added: Sending RCON message Kick with “-1” will kick all players from the server
Fixed: Kick by Shutdown message now properly states that the reason is Server Shutdown in the server log
Fixed: Changing the logout time in globals.xml had no effect on the actual timer in-game
Fixed: Prints clogging up logs upon store load of plant base
Fixed: It was not possible to repair tents when server had disableContainerDamage enabled
Fixed: Server-side #lock and #unlock commands
Tweaked: Additional engine-side checks put in place for the values of weather
MODDING
Added: CanObstruct() check on object for commonly used obstruction checks
Added: IsScenery() check on object to see if an object is part of terrain
Added: GetCenter() function on object to find the center position of the object
Added: CanBeTargetedByAI to EntityAI which decides if the Entity can be targeted by the AI passed as parameter
Added: The attack speed of infected (multiplier) can be adjusted in GameConstants.AI_ATTACKSPEED
Added: AI sensor multiplier can now be tweaked in PlayerConstants.AI_*
Added: “CanBeIgnoredByDroppedItem” to object to decide if an object should be ignored when finding a place to drop an item
Added: SetDirection to Shape
Added: Way to specify a custom image set for the attachment or attachment category icons
Changed: RaycastRVProxy now has an additional parameter to input an array for excluded objects
Changed: Error messages when being kicked from the game or failing to connect to the server have been improved
KNOWN ISSUES
Infected may be going through closed doors at certain locations. Temporary fix for the community servers is to set all attributes of building to 0 in dbeconomy.xml file. A proper fix will be included in an upcoming hotfix, slated for release early next week.
The Eggsperimental Capsule is currently set to spawn on Community servers.
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MLB The Show 21 has made headlines this year for what it’s done off the field of play. In an unprecedented move, the Sony-developed title is now available on Microsoft consoles, signalling the end of 15 years of PlayStation exclusivity. It’s a monumental shift for a series that’s also making its debut on next-gen consoles, and MLB The Show 21 maintains the series’ high bar of excellence once the ball’s in play. Away from the diamond, however, there are a number of missing features and questionable decisions that take some of the shine off an otherwise fantastic game of baseball.
The card collecting mode, Diamond Dynasty, is the basis for most of these dubious decisions, particularly in regards to Road to the Show (RttS). MLB The Show 21’s career mode still revolves around the core idea of creating a player and taking them from the minor leagues through to the majors, but the structure of the mode has been significantly reworked. Your created Ballplayer is now a single unified entity that functions much like the NBA 2K series’ MyPlayer. This Ballplayer, with all the improvements you make to their attributes, also carries over into Diamond Dynasty, where they can be inserted into the starting lineup alongside current players and legends of the sport. It’s a solid idea on paper, but the execution severely hampers RttS in a few major areas.
For one, having a single Ballplayer limits your options since you’re unable to create more than one distinct character. You can still create multiple saves to make characters who play in different positions, but you’re stuck using the exact same player in each. On top of this, there’s also a new loadout system that allows you to create multiple custom loadouts. Each one features one main archetype and up to two perks that improve certain attributes while slightly decreasing others. This change appears to be geared towards another new addition, which gives you the option to play as a two-way player similar to Shohei Ohtani. For games when you’re hitting and playing the field, you might select a loadout with perks based around improving your contact, power, and arm accuracy; on days when you’re pitching, you might opt for another loadout with pitching-centric perks.
Again, this is a decent idea on paper, but the execution is once again lacking in a number of key areas. Attributes still improve during the process of playing games and completing training drills during your off-days, but natural progression like this is exceedingly slow to the point where it feels like it barely has an impact. By the end of your first season it’s very likely that your Ballplayer’s overall rating will have only risen by two or three points. Loadouts and equipment offset this meager progression by pumping up the numbers, but it’s difficult to feel any attachment to your created player when you have next to no palpable input on how they improve. Completing missions by achieving a specific number of hits, strikeouts, and so on, contributes to a linear upgrade tree for each archetype that gradually unlocks new perks and equipment. At the moment, however, this only adds to the grind, since a glitch is currently preventing the game from properly registering all of your actions.
Of course, you can purchase perks and equipment from the in-game marketplace, too, either by using Stubs earned by playing, or by using real money to bypass this entirely. The series has always been relatively generous when it comes to handing out rewards, and MLB The Show 21 is no different, but introducing microtransactions to a single-player mode is still a cynical maneuver that might also explain part of the reason why year-to-year saves are absent.
When it comes to Diamond Dynasty, there’s an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach this year. The time-consuming mode is still bulging at the seams with various challenges and different ways to play, whether you’re recreating famous moments with legends of the past, stealing fans from other teams in Conquest, or simply competing against other players online. The same can also be said of Franchise mode–only the dearth of updates in this case is disappointing. Trade logic has been improved, and the addition of a yearly depth chart gives you a clear outline of how your team might develop and which areas will eventually need reinforcements. Budgets have also been streamlined so that they’re now readable, making it easier to plan ahead, but Franchise is still missing a number of key features that are mainstays in other sports games, such as online Franchise, expansion teams, and league re-alignments.
Like RttS, year-to-year saves are also absent in Franchise as well, so you won’t be able to carry over your 10-year Orioles rebuild from the previous games. Sounds of the Show is another feature that was lost in the move to newer consoles, meaning there’s no way to import custom music for batter walk-ups and so on. Commentary is also behind the times. There are a couple of new commentary lines in RttS relating to two-way players, but otherwise the three-man booth is overly familiar at this point. As a prime example, new Texas Rangers player David Dahl is still constantly referred to as “the speed outfielder,” despite the fact his speed stat has now regressed to 56. Sideline reporter Heidi Watney also regurgitates the same voice lines as last year.
MLB The Show has always been one of the better-looking sports games, so the increase in graphical fidelity on PlayStation 5 isn’t a significant leap. Lighting has been improved, and managers in particular look more lifelike than before. The addition of hundreds of new animations has a much more discernible impact on the visuals, though, adding to the game’s fluidity and sense of realism. The PS5 controller’s haptic feedback is also utilized to good effect, sending vibrations through your hands that mimic the ball careening off the end of the bat or nestling in a fielder’s glove. The oft-requested Stadium Creator also finally makes its series debut, letting you build ghastly monstrosities from the ground up, recreate famous ballparks, or add your own personal touch to a selection of pre-built stadiums. The only negative right now is you can’t play night games in created stadiums, but this is expected to be introduced in a later patch.
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Pinpoint Pitching is the headline new feature once you step out onto the diamond. As the name implies, this is a new pitching interface with an emphasis on precision. Obviously, how precise you are depends on your ability to successfully execute on this new mechanic, and it’s the most challenging pitching interface in the game. Once you’ve picked the pitch type and its placement, you need to use the right analog stick to accurately trace a pattern that’s dictated by your pitch selection. Timing is crucial, as you’re either rewarded or penalized for being too fast or too slow. There’s definitely a steep learning curve to mastering Pinpoint Pitching, but it’s tactile and feels very natural to pull off as though you’re mirroring the player’s pitching motion. It won’t be for everyone, and the series has never forced players into using a particular system, so you can still stick to meter pitching or another interface if need be. It’s a solid new addition, though, and adds another wrinkle to The Show’s on-field quality.
Fielding has also been improved via more fluid animations and better indicators. Check swings are also entirely based on player skill now, removing the element of randomness that was present before, even if the player discipline attribute had an impact. Whether you hold up on a swing or not is predicated on your ability to quickly cancel out of it. This is bound to be a divisive change considering it results in more strikeouts, but favoring skill over an element of luck is a positive change.
Much like its predecessors, MLB The Show 21 is still one of the best sports games available once you step over the foul line. The gameplay has been tightened up and Pinpoint Pitching is a potential game-changer, and all of these elements go some way to dampening the disappointment of its missing features, stale commentary, and changes (or lack thereof) to Road to the Show and Franchise. It’s not the strongest debut the series could’ve had on new hardware, but if you’re in the mood for nine innings of America’s favorite pastime, MLB The Show is still the undisputed king.
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The final chapter of Guild Wars 2‘s Icebrood Saga now has an official title and release date. Named “Judgement,” the conclusion to the last 18 months of Guild Wars’ story will arrive for free for all players on April 27.
“With ally Braham, norn of prophecy, on the cusp of confronting his destiny, two of Tyria’s largest and most enigmatic threats emerge to do battle in a clash of supremacy over control of the world’s magic,” ArenaNet’s teaser for the new content reads. “Players will be thrust between these two forces of nature to stop the conflict by any means necessary, and nobody is getting out unscathed.”
Judgement’s story promises a clash between two potentially world-ending Elder Dragons, an apocalyptic threat that players must stop at any cost. Like other content updates to the game, however, it also comes with a whole heap of new rewards and loot, most of it dragon-themed.
Once the update drops, players will be able to max out the Dragon Slayer mastery, and earn dragon-themed items such as a new cape, a dragon eye infusion, a greatsword skin, and new dragon-like minis.
The chapter’s new world boss promises to be epic, with players able to confront the challenge either in a private squad version for up to 50 friends and guildmates, or in a public version for up to 80 players that will become available every two hours.
A new free content update is now available for Spiritfarer, the gorgeous narrative adventure game that was one of GameSpot’s top games of 2020. The update adds a new spirit called Lily, who is designed to flesh out Stella’s story. The update also includes bug fixes, quality-of-life changes, and some new features.
The Lily Update is the first of three free content updates coming to Spiritfarer this year, and its release happens to coincide with the game hitting the major milestone of 500,000 copies sold. The update adds the character of Lily, a butterfly spirit who also happens to be Stella’s younger sister. The new content has been developed in response to player feedback, and is designed to make Stella’s story and the game’s conclusion more satisfying.
Lily can now join your boat, which will grant it the ability to travel at night. Other quality of life updates include the addition of fishing to co-op play, a new co-op controller assignment screen, and much more. You can see everything that’s been updated in thepatch notesbelow.
The next update for Spiritfarer will be the Beverly update, which is due to release this summer. That update will include a new spirit named Beverly, along with more new features and quality of life updates, and an update to Gustav’s story that will incorporate feedback from a panel of gamers with disabilities.
Patch Notes (Switch version 1.6 / PS4 version 1.8 / Gamepass PC version 1.4.9 / Xbone version 1.4.8):
Added features on all ports:
New spirit – Lily The Butterfly: Appears near the very end of the game and gives more insight into Stella’s life.
Island’s names now appear while fast travelling.
Bus Stops are easier to see from the Fast Travel screen.
Fishing can now be done in coop
New visual effects when Stanley is found.
New atmosphere for Buck’s event.
New UI showing how many items can be added to stations.
The boat can now travel at night after the first conversation with Lily.
New coop controller assignment screen. (On all ports exceptSwitch)
Fixes on all ports:
Buck’s event can no longer start during another atmosphere (rain, stars, etc.)
Recipe collection now shares the same sorting as the recipe book.
Fix cat joystick rebindings not being saved
Prevent menus from clipping down the bottom of the screen when playing in coop.
Fix Alice confirming the sheep shearing quest next to an unshorn sheep.
Fix player getting stuck in the run animation
Fix Smithy automatically starting when smithing brass sheet at a low frame rate
Fix Smithy being more likely to break on the first hit
Fix navigation inside the Pause Menu
Fix user still getting planks if they fails the minigame
Fixes exclusive to Switch:
Fix cat’s behaviours and inventory when player’s controller is disabled
Fix turtles not appearing the next day after sleeping next to them
Fix item collected message not displaying when item is removed from inventory in a conversation
Fix the rightmost cultist denizen to sometimes spawn at the wrong location
Modified Elena placement on the island
Fix Summer slowly going down ladders
Fixes exclusive to Xbox / UWP / Stadia / PC:
Fix keyboard controls not working after restoring to default in Azerty or Dvorak
Added a hint for the lighthouse sequence to help people
Added conversation when spirits are sleeping outside.
Fix Back button in auto saves screen being written as Test instead of Back (OnlyPC)
