DayZ Removes Cannabis Items, Gets Unbanned In Australia

Earlier this month, Kotaku Australia reported that DayZ was refused classification in Australia due to “illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards.” This prohibited the game’s physical release in the Oceanian country and resulted in its removal from Steam, the PlayStation Store, and Xbox Live.

The five-year-old zombie survival game was going to feature a cannabis joint that restored health, though implementation of the medicinal restorative had yet to be completed. In response to the ban, developer Bohemia Interactive chose to edit the game on a global scale to avoid splitting the player base, and it appears to have worked.

Kotaku Australia reports that the Australian Classification Board has recently updated its website, noting that DayZ is now rated MA15+. The application confirms that this version of the game has been modified, meaning a cannabis-less version was reviewed and approved by the board. The new rating should clear the way for DayZ to be restored on all digital platforms, and Bohemia will have the go-ahead to release a physical version in Australia now that the ban has been lifted.

No Caption Provided

This isn’t the first time a game has been refused sale in Australia. The government’s antiquated guidelines have previously resulted in games like Fallout 3 and Mortal Kombat 9 being completely banned from sale until the offending content was edited out–or in the case of We Happy Few, taken to a review panel. Even in the past few days, Hotline Miami 2 was made available in Australia for the first time ever following its Switch release. But even that might not last.

WWE 2K20: Roman Reign’s Biggest Matches The Subject Of Towers Mode

WWE 2K’s Towers Mode is a gaming gauntlet, where players face opponents, one after the other, trying to reach the top of the tower, akin to Mortal Kombat’s towers. However, what is going to set this mode apart from other games for WWE 2K20 is that it will feature live introductions and never-before-seen footage, all revolving around the career of WWE superstars.

Sharing the spotlight with “The Man” Becky Lynch, cover star Roman Reigns is the subject of 2K Towers: Roman’s Reign, a 16-match gauntlet where players will relive some of “The Big Dog’s” greatest moments in his WWE career. This includes covering his time in The Shield, when he was partnered with Seth Rollins–as Dean Ambrose most likely won’t be in the game as he’s working for AEW under the name Jon Moxley now. Below, you’ll find all the matches in this tower mode, which highlight Reigns’ career, so far, in WWE.

Roman’s Reign Tower Mode Matches:

  • Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs. Team Hell No
  • Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton
  • Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan
  • Roman Reigns vs. Big Show
  • Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt
  • Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus
  • Roman Reigns vs. Triple H
  • Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles
  • Roman Reigns vs. Rusev
  • Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
  • Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker
  • Roman Reigns vs. John Cena
  • Roman Reigns vs. The Miz
  • Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
  • Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
  • Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

As for the other cover star of this year’s game, Becky Lynch and the other Four Horsewomen (Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Bayley) will be the subject of this year’s Showcase Mode, which has players following in the footsteps of the highlighted superstars, completing specific tasks during matches. Much like WWE 2K19, this year’s addition will also follow the documentary-style format, featuring interviews with the subjects.

WWE 2K20’s DLC will also be a departure from what it’s done in the past. This year, players will be able to purchase WWE Originals packs, which feature fictionalized storytelling of WWE superstars, adding new playable wrestlers–with an aesthetic twist, new arenas, and new create-a-wrestler parts. There will be four of these packs in total, and they will each cost $15. While “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt is the focus of the first pack, “Bump in the Night,” GameSpot spoke to Braun Strowman about his character and involvement in the game. And like every year, the game’s roster should be massive.

WWE 2K20 arrives to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 22.

Bluetooth Speaker Deals: Save on JBL Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers Today

I’m a huge fan of Bluetooth speakers. They’re so convenient and compact, and even the lowliest ones manage to push out decent sound. The JBL Bluetooth speaker line is one of the best around, and there are some great deals happening right now.

Whether you’re looking for the thunderous boom of the JBL Charge 4 or a more compact thump from the JBL Go 2, you can grab yourself a great little speaker on sale today.

JBL Charge 4 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Deal

One time on my way to work, there was a guy standing at the intersection with this exact speaker. He had it turned all the way up (and it was super-loud) and he was listening to the 1999 hit Bling-Bling by B.G. featuring Hot Boys and Big Tymers. I still think about that guy a lot. Anyway, if you order it from Walmart early enough, you get free next-day shipping.

Continue reading…

Carrion is More Metroidvania Than Horror Game

When we first saw Carrion back in 2018 (and again at E3 2019), it introduced us to Phobia Game Studio’s visceral “reverse horror game” and immediately became a disgusting novelty that I couldn’t wait to see more of.

I got to sit down with it at Gamescom 2019, and was glad to find that Carrion isn’t just a disgustingly delightful upending of the horror game, but a uniquely clever action-platformer.

Continue reading…

Insomniac Sends A Message To Fans Following Sony Acquisition

Insomniac Games has sent a message to fans following the announcement that Sony Interactive Entertainment has purchased the developer.

“Today we announced that Insomniac has a new home,” says Insomniac CEO Ted Price. “It feels more like a homecoming though. We’ve collaborated with Sony for more than 20 years–spanning all four PlayStation consoles, 20 total games and six franchises. We still work closely today with many of the same Sony teammates as we did when we released the original Spyro the Dragon in 1998.”

The Spyro, Ratchet and Clank, and Resistance franchises have all been exclusive to PlayStation consoles, including last year’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. The only outlier is Sunset Overdrive, an Xbox One exclusive from 2014.

No Caption Provided

“The decision to join forces with Sony extends far beyond familiarity,” the message continues. “Our studio vision is to create experiences that have a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives. As we look ahead to our future, we know that joining the WWS family gives us the best opportunities to fully achieve that vision on a much larger scale. Further, we believe that Sony shares a similar vision to positively impact players’ lives, their employees’ lives and the games industry at large.

“So today merely marks the beginning of a new chapter in our studio’s growth and evolution. We’re excited to put Insomniac in the best position to deliver fresh experiences for our fans for many years to come. Our structure and approach will remain intact across both Burbank and Durham, NC studios, and we will continue to cultivate our unique culture.

“It’s been a crazy ride for sure. Now, we’re ready for the next phase of our journey, and can’t wait to explore new worlds with our Sony family and loyal fans.”

Sony recently explained why it decided to buy Insomniac, with Sony Games chairman Shawn Layden saying, “We felt that this was the time to formalize the relationship.”

Colorful New PS4 Controllers and Headset Are Up for Preorder

The regular PS4 controller features a time-tested design, but sometimes the black color scheme can seem a little boring. Thankfully, Sony has introduced a number of colorful alternatives over the years, and they show no signs of stopping. Four DualShock 4 controllers with new eye-catching color schemes will be rolling out on October 1 for $64.99 each, but you can preorder them now. Here’s what they look like and where you can get them.

Electric Purple DualShock 4 PS4 Controller

electric-purple-dualshock-4-ps4-controller

Continue reading…

The Groundhog Day Video Game is Real and We Played it

Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son was one of the more unusual games that we saw at Gamescom this year. After all, the entire premise is unusual – a VR game based on a 25-year-old movie which in itself has a very “rinse and repeat” video game premise. But video games are a twisty medium, and here I am, with a PlayStation VR headset strapped to my head, playing Groundhog Day.

The premise is smart. Phill Connors Jr spent his life in his father’s shadow; no matter what he lent his hand to, his perfect father was of course already a master of it. So he does what any rebellious young person does and moves from Punxsutawney to Pittsburgh, leaving behind his mother, his brother, his high-school girlfriend, and the gold-tinged memory of his (presumably late) father. Something brings him back to Punxsutawney, he gets stuck in the Groundhog Day loop, and the game begins proper.

Continue reading…

NBA 2K20 Demo Available Now, But It’s A Little Unusual

A demo for NBA 2K20 is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. You can download it to begin creating and testing out multiple MyPlayer builds, which you’ll then be able to take into the full game once it’s released in a couple of weeks time.

It’s an unusual demo, letting you explore a character creator more than the on-court action. You can adjust badges and attributes to create different player archetypes, and once you’ve done enough tweaking you can hop into a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors, to test out how your MyPlayer handles.

2K recently dropped a new trailer for NBA 2K20’s career mode, giving us a glimpse of what your MyPlayer will be up to during the upcoming game’s story mode. Idris Elba, Rosario Dawson, Thomas Middleditch, and Ernie Hudson star in the basketball drama, along with NBA superstar–and occasional actor–LeBron James.

Unsurprisingly, James is once again the top-rated player in 2K’s latest. If you want to see how the rest of the top 20 stacks up, you can find the full list here. NBA 2K20 is finally adding the WNBA this year, too, with 12 teams available to use in the Play Now and Season modes. Some of the league’s standout players have been scanned into the game, as well as animations and play styles fans will expect to see from the women’s league.

If you’re interested in NBA 2K20 and the demo has just whet your appetite, it launches September 6 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. GameSpot has all the details on pre-order bonuses and what’s included in the Digital Deluxe and Legend editions. You can pre-order it now at the following links:

PS4 standard edition — $60

Xbox One standard edition — $60

Switch standard edition — $60

PC standard edition — $60

PS4 Digital Deluxe edition — $80

Xbox One Digital Deluxe edition — $80

Switch Digital Deluxe edition — $80

PC Digital Deluxe edition — $80

PS4 Legend edition — $100

Xbox One Legend edition — $100

Switch Legend edition — $100

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Why a Spider-Man and Venom Crossover Should Be Sony’s Next Priority

With Sony and Marvel’s deal to share Spider-Man on the big screen abruptly coming to an end, we’re now faced with a future where Peter Parker’s next solo movie will presumably not take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Luckily for Sony, they just kicked off a cinematic universe of their own with last year’s smash hit, Venom, so there’s already a place for Spider-Man to land. Given that a sect of fans have already promised to boycott Sony over the split with Marvel, it’s in Sony’s best interest to turn lemons into lemonade as fast as possible and get to work on a Spider-Man and Venom crossover.

Continue reading…