Thimbleweed Park, Ron Gilbert’s charming 2017 adventure game, just got a surprise free spin-off. The new game, Delores: A Thimbleweed Park Mini-Adventure, is available to download now on Steam and the Epic Games Store. It weighs in at just 52MB.
The new game is a parallel story following Dolores, one of the main characters from the original game, getting a job as a photographer. It’s designed as a test for Gilbert’s new adventure game engine, which is why it’s free–don’t expect an experience as long as the original. It is not available on consoles.
Here’s the launch trailer for the new adventure, if you need further convincing to download a free game.
Thimbleweed Park is also discounted by 60% on Steam and the Epic Games Store right now, but that discount is due to end very soon.
The original game received a 7/10 in GameSpot’s 2017 review. Reviewer Matt Espineli described the game as “a time capsule that reminds us what we love about the point-and-click genre while still retaining many of its unremedied issues.”
Given that Microsoft has said almost nothing about what to expect from Halo Infinite, which is releasing later this year, fans are understandable hungry for any morsel of news about the game. Halo community manager John Junyszek has now shared a tease for Halo Infinite as it relates to its use of Medals.
Replying to a fan who remarked that Medals feel meaningless in Halo 5 because they are doled out so generously, Junyszek said, “We’re definitely aware of this feedback,” adding the smiley face and punch emojis to his message, whatever that means.
Reading between the lines here, it seems developer 343 Industries is planning some kind of change for how Medals work in Halo Infinite. Some people criticized Halo 5 for simply having too many medals. Other people, meanwhile, enjoyed the frequent feedback of in-game performance. It’ll be interesting to see how Halo Infinite addresses the feedback.
Halo Infinite is a launch title for the Xbox Series X; it’s also coming to Xbox One and PC. Xbox Game Pass subscribers–on Xbox and PC–can get the new Halo game for no extra cost.
In a new MCC Development Update on Halo Waypoint, 343 Industries has promised that preparations are underway for the “Ring 1” flight to begin soon. Ring 1 is typically a very small group of folks who work closely with the developer, but future updates will bring in other members of the Halo Insider program to test the game ahead of launch.
According to the update, testing will begin “in the coming weeks,” and will begin expanding out to more Insiders soon. “As it progresses and we work through our process we will make sure to keep folks apprised of when and where to expect the next series of PC flights to take off,” the update reads.
Since Halo 3: ODST does not have its own multiplayer mode, there’s a good chance it will release alongside Halo 3 after the flight period. After that, Halo 4 will be the last remaining part of The Master Chief Collection to come to PC.
Unfortunately, it seems that Halo 2 Anniversary’s PC launch will be fairly compromised–at launch, at least.
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Twitter user The Regressor, an animator and cosplayer who has been putting some time into Animal Crossing: New Horizons, has designed some incredible costume recreations of the main costumes worn by Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Aerith in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Paired with the right hair, you can make a character that looks a lot like their Final Fantasy counterpart.
The codes for these costume parts are in the tweet below.
Additional codes are included for costumes that show some skin–like Cloud’s shoulders and Tifa’s midriff–because that “skin” is actually part of the costume, and there’s no guarantee that your Animal Crossing villager’s skin will be the same color. If it does not match, you can use the other code.
Halo 2 is launching for PC through The Master Chief Collection on May 12. Developer 343 Industries has now shared some important launch details, including the specific release time and a list of issues to expect out of the gate.
Starting with the release time, Halo 2 (including the Anniversary remaster) will release on PC at 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET on May 12. Microsoft is releasing the game late during the US day due to “current bandwidth concerns across the globe,” the developer said on Twitter.
In terms of the known issues, there are many, including some that sound quite significant. An update is also coming to Xbox One, and this includes some issues as well.
Some of the bigger issues include the HUD becoming off-center during couch co-op (on Xbox), subtitles being out of sync with audio during cutscenes, and the audio during campaign cutscenes being “much louder” than during gameplay. Some campaign missions will also suffer FPS drops at the start, while gunfire sounds are missing for multiple weapons when using the Scarab Skull.
343 is also warning that bullet registration is “not in parity” with the original game, while the visual effects on snow “do not match legacy behavior.” Additionally, and this one sounds like a big deal–“the sun is not rendering on most maps and missions.” You can see the full known issues below, as posted on 343’s website.
Halo 2 is the third game to be added to the PC version of the Master Chief Collection, following Halo: Reach and the original Combat Evolved. The remaining three entries in the PC collection are coming later, wrapping up with Halo 4. The Master Chief Collection is free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on PC and Xbox One.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is developed by one of at least two internal teams at 343 Industries. One of the other teams is working on Halo Infinite, which is a launch title for the Xbox Series X later this year. That system and the game remain on schedule to release this holiday, despite concerns around COVID-19.
Halo 2 Launch Known Issues
Campaign
On Xbox in Co-op multiplayer, the HUD will become off centered when zooming in
Terminal videos default to English only
In-game audio plays while viewing terminal videos
Subtitles are not present in campaign gameplay
Subtitles are out of sync with audio when viewing cutscenes
Users on AMD hardware may encounter missing and/or flickering textures across campaign (such as the Elevator on Oracle)
Oracle in has several graphical issues including around glass flood tanks, clouds, and lightning effects
Cinematic audio for in Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary is affected by different audio option sliders.
Enemy Elites do not dual wield in the Campaign
Campaign cutscenes are much louder than gameplay
Some Campaign missions have FPS drops on first launch of the mission
When having multiple audio devices and swapping between classic and remastered graphics in cutscenes, audio can change output devices
When using a Ryzen 5 and AMD GPU, large rectangle volumes appear on the mission Oracle
Blur Cinematics and Terminal videos can have visual issues in non-16:9 aspect ratios as they were rendered at 16:9
Gunfire sounds are missing from multiple weapons with the Scarab Skull active
With the Scarab Gun skull active, a hardlock can happen when firing a plasma rifle after swapping weapons with an Elite
Sentinel lights will display for a short time after death before disappearing
Some environmental textures appear in lower than expected resolutions
Music will loop incorrectly on Metropolis while in the Scorpion tank
Using Nvidia GPUs on Classic graphics, various foliage environment LOD textures are missing
Gravemind on co-op has hitches and with poor network conditions disconnects can happen
When swapping between Classic and Remastered graphics music will change to different parts of the track
Halo 2: Anniversary
Pixilation on shadows can be seen in Anniversary graphics
Forge map lighting is not appearing correctly
Performance lowers during games of 3 plots
Texture resolution is displaying in low quality through various parts of the title
When looking at the fan on Stonetown, FPS sometimes drops to 45
Audio is missing when reloading weapons when done quickly
Primary weapon audio decreases if you are shooting while picking up a secondary weapon
Decals on the Gauss Warthog turret will detach from the model during the firing animation
When using newer Intel drivers with onboard graphics, you cannot launch
Performance in theater films is capped at 60 fps when framerate is set to unlimited
There are no inversion options in the Settings Menu for dual wielding
Lighting is inconsistent between Elite and Spartan armors
There is visible stuttering on objects when strafing with Unlimited Framerate enabled
Sound effects do not play for the player holding the oddball when playing Hot Potato
The Hoplite armor is missing a rear armor piece in gameplay
Halo 2
When using voice chat there is no notification that players are talking
The music mixing is much quieter in MCC compared to the original
Team Spawn system does not have parity with original
Bullet registration is not in parity with the original
The respawn timer is hidden by the territory capture meter in multiplayer
Gamma values are excessively blown out compared to legacy
Super bouncing does not mirror legacy
Snow VFX do not match legacy behavior on snow weather missions and maps
The sun is not rendering on most maps and missions
When playing at higher field of view, textures will appear to pop in more frequently as the LOD distance is shortened
Banshees turn faster when using Mouse and Keyboard
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Community, the beloved sitcom that ran for six seasons across NBC and Yahoo Screen, never really felt complete–while the show’s sixth and final season ended well, the “#sixseasonsandamovie” that popped up several times over the show’s run has not yet come to pass.
But now, five years after the show’s end, creator Dan Harmon (now working on Rick and Morty) has hinted at the possibility that the movie will still happen. Talking to The Wrap, Harmon hinted that plans are underway to reunite the cast and film something. “I can tell people for sure that the enthusiasm for Community,” Harmon says, explaining that the continued interest in the show “affects the marketplace”–which is to say, essentially, but making a movie might be a good financial decision at this point.
“When the marketplace gets affected, conversations happen,” Harmon continued. “And when conversations happen, things happen.” Although he believes that Community fans have have learned over the years to “never to raise expectations, keep ‘em nice and low and then be pleasantly surprised,” he gives fans some reason to feel hopeful.
“I can say that there are conversations happening that people would want to be happening and that I’m very, very excited about the coming months,” Harmon concludes.
In the show, “#sixseasonsandamovie” was first used by the character Abed (Danny Pudi) in reference to The Cape, a show that was, in reality, cancelled after a single ten episode season. Fans took the phrase and ran with it, and it eventually became the expectation that Community would try and release six seasons and a movie. Since the show recently hit Netflix, it has likely brought in many new and returning fans.
The cast of Community is reuniting later this month (minus Chevy Chase) for a virtual table read of an episode from Season 5. The episode, Cooperative Polygraphy, marked Donald Glover’s penultimate appearance on the show–he will also be returning for this table read.
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Microsoft has announced a brand-new Halo competitive gaming tournament, and you don’t have to be a professional to participate. The MCC Pro Series is a new, online tournament that anyone can take part in for an opportunity to win cash prizes.
Halo developer 343 Industries said it’s launching the new tournament series to “help restore even a small sliver of normalcy” for Halo fans amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MCC Pro Series begins May 23 with open tournaments (for anyone) and Pro tournaments for professionals. The esports organization Face It is running the competition, and you can see the full rundown of schedules and how to enter here on the MCC Pro Series site.
The MCC Pro Series will use Halo 2: Anniversary on PC as its main title, but other games in the Master Chief Collection will also be featured in the event. The top eight teams from the open tournament will quality for the 16-team Pro tournament where they will face off against the top eight teams from the DreamHack Anaheim event. The top eight teams from the Pro tournaments thereafter will quality for the next Pro tournament, and this cycle continues until the finals in July.
Microsoft is putting in $5,500 in total for the MCC Pro Series, spread between the open tournaments and the pro tournaments. The top team for the open tournament will get $250, while the winners of the Pro event will get $2,000. You can see the full prizing information below.
MCC Pro Series Prizing:
Open Tournament: $500 (single elimination)
$250
$150
$100
Pro Tournament: $5,000 (Round robin groups into single elimination)
$2,000
$1,000
$500
$500
$250
$250
$250
$250
Looking ahead, this year’s Halo Infinite will also have an ambitious competitive gaming plan, but the full details of this have not yet been announced. “Thank you to all fans, players, teams, and partners for joining us on this journey. The best is yet to come with Halo Infinite and we can’t wait to share more. Best of luck to all players, and stay safe,” Microsoft said.
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After having not posted anything for nearly two years, the official Mafia franchise Twitter account tweeted out a single word on May 10: Family. The account hasn’t explained itself, but it suggests that previous reports of a remastered game could be true.
In early April, the Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea apparently leaked Mafia 2: Definitive Edition, which Take-Two has still not announced. The original Mafia 2 game released in 2010 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, making 2020 its 10th anniversary, which would be an appropriate time for a remaster or remake.
Mafia 2 received better reviews than Mafia 3, which took the franchise in an even more grim direction but struggled with some of its open-world gameplay mechanics. GameSpot’s Mafia 2 review awarded the game an 8.5/10, while our Mafia 3 review gave the game a 6/10 when it released in 2016.
It’s possible that Take-Two could be saving a Mafia 2 remaster for the next-generation Xbox Series X and PS5 systems instead of current-generation consoles. They’re both due to release this holiday season, and the improved power compared to what Mafia 2 ran on a decade ago could make the game much more impressive. Until we get an official announcement, we’ll just have to keep an eye on the series’ Twitter account for more updates.
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Today, WWE superstars will climb the corporate ladder to grab the brass rings in order to get a championship match contract at the Money in the Bank PPV. However, the “brass ring” is a gold briefcase and the “corporate ladder” is WWE Headquarters in Connecticut. And GameSpot will be covering the event later today, when Money in the Bank starts at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE events cannot have a live audience present, so the wrestling promotion has been hosting its events at the Performance Center in Florida–which is where most of Wrestlemania 36 took place. Most of the MITB PPV will take place there except for the two MITB contract matches, which will happen simultaneously. How will that work out? We’ll find out later this evening.
Check out the match card for the event below. There are four championship matches and two MITB ladder matches, but the main issue is that there wasn’t a lot of build for the other matches on the card, especially for the two late-addition matches on Friday night.
Money in the Bank match card:
Jeff Hardy vs. Cesaro (KICKOFF SHOW)
R-Truth vs. MVP
New Day (c) vs. Miz & Morrison vs. Lucha House Party vs. Forgotten Sons (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
Bayley (c) vs. Tamina (Smackdown Women’s Championship)
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Seth Rollins (WWE Championship)
Braun Strowman (c) vs. Bray Wyatt (Universal Championship)
Women’s Money in the Bank match (Carmella, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Dana Brooke, Asuka, and Lacey Evans)
Men’s Money in the Bank match (Otis, Aleister Black, Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, Rey Mysterio, and King Corbin)
Both the men’s and women’s MITB matches will happen at the exact same time at Titan Towers, and more than likely, we’ll get something a bit more cinematic, like Wrestlemania 36’s Boneyard of Firefly Fun House matches.
Below, you’ll find the live, updated results from the Money in the Bank PPV. Keep checking this page as the show progresses to find out the winners of every match.
Kickoff show
The Kickoff show has begun. Stay tuned for updates throughout the show.
Updating…
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Fan-fiction and other unauthorized adaptations can sometimes draw the ire of franchises’ original creators, but the Cyberpunk 2077 team has no qualms with a new and very impressive fan film’s teaser. Cyberpunk 2077: Phoenix Program is an upcoming project that looks professional enough to be official, and can you can see the teaser below.
How awesome is this?! Action movie director @ViDanTran teamed up with a group of amazing cosplayers (including our friend @maul_cosplay!) to create a Cyberpunk 2077 fan film! Check it out for yourself – they just released their first teaser (and we can’t wait to see more): pic.twitter.com/IsOEkatypk
A one-minute teaser for Phoenix Program was posted on May 9, and it contains characters we’ve seen in Cyberpunk 2077, including Johnny Silverhand. Played in the game by Keanu Reeves, actor Ben Bergmann has the look down, with bright red sunglasses and his signature long black hair. Bergmann has extensive experience cosplaying as CD Projekt Red’s Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher series, as well.
The teaser shows brief snippets of several scenes, including an execution, an interrogation, and an elaborate nightclub shot. Silverhand gets to make use of his close-quarters combat and firearms skills like Reeves in John Wick, and the visual effects are very impressive.
Director Vi-Dan Tran is no stranger to action, having worked in the stunt department in huge films like 6 Underground and the show Into the Badlands. Phoenix Program’s production has been delayed, like most productions, by the ongoing pandemic, but it’s shaping up to be a worth companion piece to the game itself.
Cyberpunk 2077 releases for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia on September 17. It will not be available on the PS5 or Xbox Series X at launch, but those versions are also in development.