Yearly Archives: 2019

Steel Division 2’s Closed Beta is Live Until June 20th

-Steel Division 2 - Announcement In-Engine Trailer - YouTube

Eugen Systems revealed today that the Closed Beta for their upcoming Steel Division 2 has begun, and will last until June 20th, 2019, when the game launches (or June 18th, for people who pre-ordered and gain early access). Full details about the Closed Beta and launch can be found on their Steam Page.

As part of their extensive pre-order bonus offerings, the pre-order beta will feature 18 Divisions, and more than 600 units, giving players access to every unit and division that will come with the game when it launches. Additionally, players of the pre-order will received two exclusive Divisions. These two Divisions are the Skijäger-Division, a heavily mechanized elite infantry division. It features the famous Sturmpanzer KV-2(r) heavy tank and the Panzerjäger Gazelle Exclusive Units.

Key Features for the Steel Division 2 Closed Beta on Steam include:
Four Game Modes:
  • Conquest
  • Closer Combat
  • Breakthrough
  • 5-Player Online Coop
Five Maps:
  • Orsha North
  • Vitebsk East
  • Tsell
  • Lyakhavichy
  • Autobahn zur Hölle
18 Divisions:
  • 2nd Guards Tank Corps
  • 29th Tank Corps
  • 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps
  • Manoeuver Group “Tyurin”
  • Manoeuver Group “Bezugly”
  • 9th Guards Cavalry Division
  • 26th Guards Rifle Division
  • 44th Guards Rifle Division
  • 184th Guards Rifle Division
  • 5. Panzerdivision
  • 20. Panzerdivision
  • 78. Sturmdivision
  • 28. Jägerdivision
  • 14. Infanterie-Division
  • Gruppe Harteneck
  • Köruck 559
  • 1. Lovas Hadosztály
  • 12. Tartalékos Hadosztály

Assetto Corsa Competizione Launch Trailer

Assetto Corsa Competizione is the official Blancpain GT series, developed by KUNOS Simulazioni and published by 505Games, and it has left Early Access today. Version 1.0 is available on Steam for 44.99 and has a 10% discount for a limited time. Virtual drivers can take the wheel in a simulation of the Blancpain GT Series, tkaing the wheel of some of the games featured luxury motorcars. These include Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins, or choose from a number of other prestigious GT racing cars, all replicated with an outstanding level of detail.

“Never take anything for granted, even if you have the Assetto Corsa experience behind you! Assetto Corsa Competizione has been completely rebuilt from scratch, not only to best harness and adapt to the Unreal Engine 4 capabilities, but also to define a new standard in terms of realism and car handling,” said Maro Massarutto, co-founder and brand & product manager of Kunos Simulazioni. “The opportunity of working with SRO GT Series has allowed us to furtherly extend our know-how and our specialization in responding to players’ needs, as well as those of real drivers. Reaching the finish line was not easy, but it certainly was exciting and satisfying, also thanks to the support of our incredible community, which once again understood and grasped the spirit and value of the Early Access program at its best. But our challenge is yet to be finished: even after the release of version 1.0, we will continue to work on expanding and improving Assetto Corsa Competizione to the best of our abilities”.

Features of 1.0 Assetto Corsa Competizione:

  •  MULTIPLAYER AND SINGLEPLAYER MODES: Assetto Corsa Competizione will have an advanced ranking system which evaluates both individual performance and driving behavior, rewarding the most virtuous drivers and promoting fair play in online competitions. Thanks to an efficient matchmaking feature that evaluates and ranks players based on their driving skills and fair play, multiplayer matches will be both thrilling and well-balanced. Career, Championship and Free Play modes will offer a complete and customizable gaming experience, suitable for players of every skill level
  • CHAMPIONSHIP AND CAREER MODES: Assetto Corsa Competizione includes a brand-new Career Mode designed in collaboration with Lamborghini Squadra Corse and official driver Mirko Bortolotti – Blancpain GT Series champion 2017 – who will introduce players to the first driving tests, giving them precious suggestions to start their adventure in the Blancpain GT Series. This mode allows users to create their own racing team to take on all driving tests and racing weekends with an astonishing level of realism and with the main objective of any professional driver: to win. Championship mode allows to virtually reproduce the Blancpain GT Series Season in the shoes of one of the official drivers.
  • REALISTIC WEATHER CONDITIONS: Assetto Corsa Competizione includes competitions of different lenghts – from Sprint 60’ races to the famous Spa 24H Endurance race – which give to players the chance to experience variable weather conditions during the whole race, influencing the track’s visibility and car handling. The possibility to set different weather conditions help to create races that are always different, with outcomes that are never given for granted.
  • THE MOST ACCURATE CIRCUITS: Thanks to LaserScan technology, every official circuit is recreated with the utmost accuracy: All curbs and details perfectly replicate their real counterparts, granting a gaming experience as faithful to reality as possible.
  • ADVANCED VISUAL AND AUDIO EFFECTS: Unreal Engine 4 grants photorealistic rendering and an accurate representation of scenarios, car materials and weather conditions. Thanks to the multi-channel audio sampling of real GT cars, the game conveys captivating and immersive acoustic surroundings and realistic environmental effects.

Warhammer: Chaosbane EndGame & Post Launch News

BIGBEn and EKO Software reveal their endgame content, as well as the free and paid content that will be available to players post-launch for Warhammer: Chaosbane in their latest video. A bullet-point list of this content is also below:

Endgame:

  • Once the main quest is finished, the player will be able to restart with a new character while keeping everything they’ve previously unlocked: crafting, fragments, money, etc.
  • Additionally, finishing the game will unlock different endgamemodes:
    • Expedition mode: the best way to start a fast game, alone or with friends, in randomly-generated levels.
    • Relic hunt: the player may purchase a map from the Collector’s Guild in order to get access to a dungeon which offers several difficulty levels and lets players collect heroic gear.
    • Boss Rush: lets you confront the campaign bosses as quickly as possible in order to test builds and gear.

Post Launch:

  • Regular updates available for everyone:
    • The first will add a difficulty level and new gear.
    • Then a permanent death mode will be added.
    • A new heroic set for each of the heroes and extra difficulty levels.
    • An increase to maximum character level.
  • Paid updates (included with the Season Pass):
    • The first DLC will offer new emotes and a passive skill letting you increase the chances of finding heroic items.
    • The following DLC will then add a passive skill letting you more easily find God fragments, as well as an alternative God skill tree for each character.
    • The third DLC will contain new companions for all playable characters.
    • The fourth DLC will contain an entirely new story, told through a new act, separate from the main campaign,taking place in never-before-seen environments. This time, instead of the forces of Chaos, you’ll face off against ancient undead evil in the form of the Tomb Kings.

Deep Sky Derelicts ‘New Prospects’ DLC Arriving May 2019

Deep Sky Derelicts has their first expansion arriving tomorrow (May 30th, 2019), and will be 6.99 (including a 10% launch discount). New features and upgrades come with this DLC, such as getting lost in blizzards/sandstorms, engaging with scavenger colonies, and clearing out monster lairs. It promises to make exploration more exciting than ever before.

Key Features:

  • New character class – the Miner – including a custom look, ability tree and exclusive new heavy ranged weapon.
  • New exploration mechanics such as stealth, ambushing enemies or camping.
  • A wide range of new environmental conditions: dynamic gravity, ghost ship, radiation waves, quantum teleportation, tourist trap, etc., along with hazardous planetary conditions such as blizzards and sandstorms, and more.
  • New locations to visit apart from the derelicts: ice and desert planets.
  • Settlements: confined, guarded areas that belong to various factions, such as scavenger colonies, pirate forts and scourge nests.
  • New environmental combat actions that can be used in exchange for energy during fights, as an alternative to playing regular cards.
  • 10 new enemies, including deadly new variations on the Cobra and Skink.
  • A dozen compelling new missions to accomplish on planet surfaces and on board of derelicts.
  • New equipment offering exciting new options for gearing up your scavengers.
  • Numerous UI updates and improvements: left-side consumables menu, new buttons for Normal and Focused scans, exploration stance selector button, and more!

Moonlighter Celebrates First Anniversary with ‘Between Dimensions’ DLC Teaser

Moonlighter was born on May 29th, 2018, and proved itself to be a fun, competitive game that has had continued growth. From the More Stock Update, the Adventure Update, Friends & Foes and more beyond, it has continued to grow on both PC and console. Moonlighter is ready to show off some new DLC, the Between Dimensions DLC, which will add new monsters, a new dungeon and more to the game.

Ragachak’s Top 5 Modern RPGs

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

Final Fantasy X X-2 Switch Review Screenshot

The first time I saw this scene, it gave me chills. Still does, really.

God. Bless. America this was difficult to write. I’ll probably do some more of these based on era/consoles, to make it a little easier. Today’s list is a bit more narrow than normal. I want to focus on RPGs that made an impact on my personal life/ that I sincerely enjoyed over the last say… five years or so. There are far too many honorable mentions for this list though. I wanted to keep remakes and HD remasters off this list, with one notable exception (sort of). So Final Fantasy X, Yakuza Kiwami/Kiwami 2, games like that, that I absolutely love, I left off the list. I also wanted to only put one Final Fantasy game on there, because I could have easily made it dominated by that one franchise. So Final Fantasy XV also receives an honorable mention, because that story really got me worked into a shoot. One final honorable mention is Ni no Kuni II. It’s a beautiful, interesting game and while I enjoyed it immensely, it does not beat out the games on this list for me.

Venomous

This is a vintage-run of Final Fantasy IV. It’s also my fastest time to date, with 2 hours 9 minutes.

5. Randomizers: Now, I know I said no remakes/remasters, but these, in general, have really made my downtime when I’m not working truly enjoyable. There are many games that I’ve spent most of my life playing, so they become formulaic, and lose a lot of meaning/challenge. So with a randomizer, I can tackle these games that I own and love, and do so in an all-new way every single time I play. It’s always something new and different, whether it’s Final Fantasy IV, VI, EarthBound, or the new one I was clued in to, Crystallis. Everything from Doom to Super Metroid seems to have one, and there is a Final Fantasy VII randomizer in the works that I’m excited for.

Chroma Squad character creator

4. Chroma Squad: I really need to go back and beat Chroma Squad, but as a concept I absolutely damn loved it. The gameplay was challenging, and the story is just the best. I mean, I get to play a turn-based strategy RPG where I’m running a run-down Super Sentai production? I get to make a squad of Sentai/Power Rangers, fight bad guys, and have giant robot fights? Come on, you don’t have to tell me a damn thing more about this game. It’s hokey, it’s made by people that truly understand the franchise, and it’s just a joy to play. I should really go back and stream that because it was so much fun. I don’t know why I stopped, but I regret doing so.

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 3.3 Trailer

3. Final Fantasy XIV: How did Final Fantasy XIV beat out Final Fantasy XV? Well that’s easy – I still actively play FFXIV. XV had an unforgettable story and made me truly enjoy an open-world RPG, which is no easy feat. But Final Fantasy XIV unseated all of my favorite MMORPGs of all, I can play it with my friends, and it has so much damn fanservice to the other games in it. Themes I’m fond of, characters, areas, bosses, it’s got it all. Final Fantasy XIV is an MMO that I’ve been suggesting to people for years now, and I’m glad to see a few folks I know who never play MMOs try it, and fall in love with it. There’s a new expansion coming, with some really great classes (Gunbreaker, Dancer), and though there are things I’m not as crazy about (Eureka), there is so much more that is 100% worth playing. Go play the free trial of Final Fantasy XIV, then come back and tell me you loved it.

-DRAGON QUEST XI – “The Loyal Companions” (Character Trailer) - YouTube

2. Dragon Quest XI: Dragon Quest is the series of RPGs I’ve been playing the longest. Dragon Quest XI is so good my first playthrough was over 80 hours, and I wasn’t at the end yet – nor was I upset about how much time had been spent. However, I was crushed that the last hurricane we had killed my Playstation 4, and subsequently my savefile was destroyed with it (It wasn’t backed up on the cloud for some reason). That was when I was an hour from the True Ending. I have not been able to bring myself to do it all again, but when Dragon Quest XI hits the Switch, I will play the 16-bit mode and do it all again with a smile. Dragon Quest XI’s second act was amazing and had a swerve I did not see coming. Things went from bright and cheery to ultra grimdark in about fifteen seconds. The characters had depth, the story was long, but not a slog, and it still had all of the charm the previous games had without feeling tired. This is another “go play this right damn now” game for me. Just like this next title.

Yakuza Kiwami PC release

1. Yakuza 0: Before I had played Yakuza 0, I had played Yakuza 4 and 5 – while I did enjoy and review them, being able to play on a more modern console, with modern console looks/feel, that is what did it for me. Yakuza 0 starts before Yakuza 1, and since I didn’t play 1-3, it gave me a lot of perspective on characters that I frankly didn’t have before. As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of sandbox games, but  Yakuza 0 does absolutely so much with every square inch of the towns within it, that you never feel like there is wasted or empty space. Amazing side quests, a gripping, dark story, warm moments, hilarious spots, great mini-games. Yakuza 0 has awesome combat, delicious-looking food, and is a terrific starting point for anyone who has never tried Yakuza before. Plus it’s on PC now! Kiryu Kazuma is such a fascinating character, and being able to play as him and fan-favorite Goro Majima is just a treat. Go play Yakuza 0. Seriously. Stop reading this, and go get it.

Journey Will Launch on the Epic Games Store in June 2019

Journey Launches on Epic Games Store this June

Journey is an anonymous adventure, where you travel on a life’s passage, connecting with companions on the way. It will arrive on the Epic Games Store on June 6th, 2019 for 14.99. It is presently available for preorder and was created by thatgamecompany and published by Annapurna Interactive. It has been optimized with 4k graphics and has a haunting soundtrack to go along with the visuals.

Journey also approaches online gameplay in an all-new way on PC, was already available on PS4 and PS3 through the Playstation Store. Following its initial launch on PlayStation, the title has received a slew of awards including the D.I.C.E. Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards, and the BAFTA Awards, among many others.

Tekken World Tour 2019 Partners with ASTRO Gaming

Tekken7-WorldTour

Press Release

Leading interactive entertainment media publisher and developer BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., today announced ASTRO Gaming as an official tour and audio partner joining the TEKKEN™ World Tour for 2019. Entering its third tournament season, the TEKKEN World Tour promises more action, new locations, returning favorites, and innovative tournament categories enabling more players to participate in the tour. With ASTRO Gaming joining its partnership ranks, the stakes just became even higher as players compete for an ever-growing prize purse, ASTRO Gaming products, and more.

ASTRO Gaming’s support for TEKKEN World Tour for 2019 will comprise of four main avenues of participation including the following; increasing TEKKEN World Tour’s prize purse, providing product prizing for all Master event champions, designation as the official audio partner to provide headset & mixamp hardware at events, and sponsors of the “ASTRO Path To TEKKEN Masters, powered by Beyond” online tournament series where players compete online to win a myriad of prizes, including $500 USD cash, ASTRO hardware prize packs, as well as travel accommodations and tournament entry support to compete at official TEKKEN World Tour live events. ASTRO Gaming’s partnership support of TEKKEN World Tour increases the total tournament prize purse to $285,000 USD.

“Every year, our goal at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment is to deliver the most exciting and hardest-hitting fighting game tournament series in all of esports.” said Mark Religioso, Brand Manager at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “Working in conjunction with our partners at ASTRO Gaming to offer bigger cash purses, hardware prizes, and new ways for players to participate and compete from home; we’re strengthening all aspects of TEKKEN World Tour for 2019 and will surely achieve our vision of producing the best fighting game tournament series in the business.”

“Everything we do at ASTRO is focused on improving the sport of gaming,” stated Aron Drayer, Vice President of Marketing for ASTRO Gaming. “We are excited to partner with BANDAI NAMCO and the TEKKEN World Tour to bring to athletes and fans the best gaming audio experience possible. This also gives us an amazing opportunity to give-back to a community that values technology and innovation.”