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Halo Infinite player feedback is already starting to shape the game in a positive way

Admin — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 09:32:57 +0000

Halo Infinite’s technical preview wasn’t just a great exercise for developer 343 Industries to test server loads and address critical bugs. It’s also proving to be an invaluable source of early player feedback – and it’s already impacting the game’s development in a positive way.

In the technical preview, Halo Infinite’s radar would only highlight enemies who were sprinting or shooting, and operates more like a ‘Threat Tracker’ than a motion tracker in this regard. Traditionally, the radar in Halo has only detected motion, and players could go undetected if they were either standing still or crouch-walking.

It turns out that many players missed the classic motion tracker of old, and it’s something that 343 Industries plans to change for social playlists in particular.

“The Combat Sensor, or radar, that sits in the bottom left of your HUD followed a different set of rules than previous Halo titles,” the Halo Infinite multiplayer team explained. “It only displayed enemies when they were sprinting or shooting, which was more in line with Halo 5’s ‘Threat Tracker.’ We knew that this implementation was going to feel different, maybe even a little contentious, and that’s why we wanted to get feedback on it as soon as possible in the Tech Preview.”

Of course, not everyone disliked the new radar. 343 said “most players” preferred the old motion tracker. However, the team added: “We’ve updated the Combat Sensor to feel more like the ‘Motion Tracker’ of old, which shows all movement besides crouch-walking, and should have that ready for folks in the next flight.”

Changes to how the radar works aren’t the only player feedback that is being implemented. A whole host of other requested features has been logged by the team at 343 Industries, such as including adding an auto-sprint option and improvements to the Drop Wall pickup. You can check out the full list of feedback in this detailed blog post on Halo Waypoint.

Analysis: there’s nothing better than feedback from fans

(Image credit: 343 Industries)

With Halo Infinite set to be released on December 8, 2021 the opportunity to get the game in players’ hands early is a fantastic way of squashing any pre-launch bugs and improving the experience ahead of launch.

The technical preview will have already proved invaluable for 343 Industries, and it’s clear that some features have been extremely well received like the Grappleshot, while others need a bit of refinement.

With Halo Infinite’s multiplayer going free-to-play for the first time in the series, as well as support for cross-play and cross-progression across Xbox consoles and PC, collating real-world feedback will be vitally important to 343 if they want to ensure a smooth and successful launch. It’s likely that Halo Infinite will attract a huge audience due to being free-to-play, so the more work that can be done to improve the game, the better.

Halo Infinite will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It’ll also be free to Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on day one.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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PS5 restock update: Best Buy, Target and GameStop – when PS5 will be in stock next

Admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 20:59:21 +0000

Our PS5 restock Twitter track has officially helped 80,000 get a next-gen console, and follow our PS5 restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider and turn on notifications, you’ll get the next restock alert. Today, September 4, we aren’t expecting new PS5 stock simply because restocks of consoles during the weekend are extremely rare. It’s only happened once. That said, the last Best Buy PS5 restock was 23 days ago when the retailer had been on pace to have consoles for sale every week or every other week this summer. Good news: TechRadar’s exclusive sources have indicated that GameStop is prepping bundles for next week.

This is how to know as soon as PS5 is in stock:

Directions: Click on this screenshot of a PS5 restock alert from Twitter tracker Matt Swider and turn on notifications (that little bell icon in the profile) for instant alerts. This is what you’ll see when there’s the PS5 is in stock.

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

PS5 restock Twitter tracker new

Update: Weekend restocks are rare, although Best Buy is trying to push people to its Labor Day Weekend sales, so we’re going to keep tracking the console 24/7 and send out a Twitter alert in case anything changes.

PS5 restock news hasn’t been this slow in all of 2021. This week, only Amazon and Antonline came through with PS5 Digital Edition console inventory. And both sold out within a matter of minutes, leaving many people frustrated.

We didn’t expect a Walmart PS5 restock on Thursday simply because the retailer has the console on backorder, with some of the last PlayStation 5 stock bought set to arrive in October. If Walmart wants to have any Sony consoles saved for Black Friday in November, it’s going to have to slow down on its restocks in September.

That leaves Best Buy, Target and GameStop all due for a restock, while Antonline has live up to its promise of having at least one next-gen restock per week, so more may arrive next week – if you see our restock alerts.

PS5 restock tracker at Best Buy

Next PS5 restock date (rumored): Overdue for next week
Last PS5 restock date at Best Buy: August 12, 2021 at 2:35pm EDT
Buying/Pickup method: Online-only (not in stores), in-store pickup 3-5 days later
How to buy PS5 from Best Buy: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

The Best Buy PS5 restock is long overdue, with the console being available to buy 23 days ago and nothing since mid-August. And most of the time we see Best Buy inventory being scooped up by bots, making it impossible to get if you’re the average consumer. It’s become our least favorite store to buy from, but everyone thinks of Best Buy when they try to buy a console, so it remains popular.

The good news is you have our alerts to get it before the resellers’ bots claim all of the PS5 consoles at MSRP. The bad news is that Best Buy has picked very random days and times, ranging from 9:35am EDT and 5:05pm EDT in 2021.

Best Buy hasn’t had PS5 consoles since August 12 at 2:35pm EDT, so expect an alert that looks like the picture below – hopefully this week.

(Image credit: PS5 restock)

GameStop PS5 restock tracker

Next PS5 restock date at GameStop: Every 7 to 15 days – so far it’s been 10 days
Last small PS5 restock date at GameStop: August 25, 2021 at 11:00am EDT
Last major PS5 restock date at GameStop: August 17, 2021 at 11:00am EDT
Buying/Shipping method: Online-only, ships in 3-5 days
How to buy PS5 from GameStop: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

We’ve finally seen movement of PS5 consoles at GameStop as of Friday, September 3, according to our exclusive sources. This means we could see another restock next week, with GameStop recently choosing Tuesday at 11am EDT for its biggest orders.

Because we have inside sources and have gotten a heads-up on the last three major restocks to help out regular gamers who follow us on Twitter, we’re usually able to confirm the date (though not the time) of the restock the night before.

Game Stop is where the Twitter followers of Matt Swider have seen the most success of any retailer. Why? Because GameStop requires a $15 a year membership fee (PowerUp Rewards Pro) for first access and forces you to buy bundles.

This prevents resellers from buying all of the PS5 inventory, a problem we see time and time again at Walmart and Best Buy during every restock. So while you may pay around $750 for the PS5 Disc bundle with three games, an extra controller, and a gift card, it may be worth it if you’re a gamer and are desperate to find the PS5.

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

PS5 restock tracker for Target

Next PS5 restock date at Target: Strategy may have changed (see below)
Last PS5 restock date at Target: August 27, 2021 at 8:15am EDT
Buying/Shipping method: Online-only, same-day pickup in stores
How to buy PS5 from Target: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

The Target PS5 restock date has been harder to nail down because the US retailer is selling the console in two different ways.

Method 1
The nationwide restock dates have happened on a Friday for the past three cycles: Friday, August 27; Friday, July 30; and Friday, July 9, with either three or four weeks in between the dates. And even with four weeks between the last two PS5 drops, Target has very limited inventory – few $499 PS5 Disc consoles per store and even fewer $499 PS5 Digital Edition consoles.

The Target PS5 restock time is usually between 7am EDT and 8am EDT with the most popular time being 7:40am EDT, although this past restock date was at 8:15am EDT, and that may be because the retailer’s page was having some glitches one hour before PS5 went on sale.

The nationwide PS5 restock events are always early for the West Coast (7:40am EDT is 4:40am PDT), but because you’re buying online to pick up in a local store, you’re competing with a bunch of neighbors who are asleep, so you have a better chance than anyone on the more-awake East Coast of the United States.

Method 2
This one is harder for our PS5 Twitter tracker to send an alert about because Target has recently (as of the last two months) been putting a few consoles online at a handful of stores. A few stores in Nebraska or Michigan will get about four consoles each one morning (rarely it happens at other times of the day), and they’re gone in an instant. And it’s hard to tell these from the more meaningful nationwide restocks. If you get a PS5 of these very limited local Target drops, consider yourself lucky.

Here’s an example of a PS5 restock alert from Target:

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

PS5 restock Twitter tracker for Walmart

Next PS5 restock date at Walmart: Usually on Thursday, but is on backorder
Last PS5 restock date at Walmart: August 25, 2021 at 12pm EDT (rare Wednesday)
Buying/Shipping method: Online-only, ships from one week to one month
How to buy PS5 from Walmart: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

The last Walmart PS5 restock switched things up with a rare non-Thursday restock – it’s been on a Thursday every time in 2021 – instead offering PlayStation 5 consoles on Wednesday, August 25. In fact there were two restock times: 12pm EDT and 9pm EDT, and went sent out alerts about both of them.

What does that mean for this week? Often (but not always) Walmart takes the week off between restocks, as inventory gets backed up, and sure enough, the people who bought from the last Walmart PS5 restock have delivery dates of October. Walmart takes the longest to ship, although it often ships next-gen consoles before proposed delivery dates (but in a few cases, it takes longer and offers a discount on the PS5). In one case, Walmart messed up a PS5 Digital restock so badly, it offering customers the PS5 Digital console in its place – with no upgrade.

Will there be another Walmart PS5 restock this week? Will it return to the usual date and time of Thursday at 3pm EDT? We’ll keep tracking the box-box retailer 24/7, as it all depends on how many people are getting their console on time.

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

PS5 restock Twitter tracker for Amazon

Next PS5 restock date at Amazon: Overdue to additional PS5 consoles
Last PS5 Digital restock date at Amazon: September 1, 2021 at 11:05am EDT
Last PS5 Disc restock date at Amazon: August 25, 2021 (via Treasure Truck)
Buying/Shipping method: Online-only, ships in 1-3 days
How to buy PS5 from Amazon: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

Amazon wasn’t done with the limited PS5 Disc restock through its Treasure Truck alert system, according to our original news reporting and exclusive sources.

And we were right: PS5 Digital became available on September 1, and many people caught Matt’s Twitter notification. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we’ve been tracking Amazon for all of 2021 and usually see the console from the online-only store once a month. It may be some time before there’s another restock here.

Amazon has been restocking PS5 consoles at two different times: during the 10 to 11 o’clock hour EDT and just after 3am EDT. It feels like we’re overdue for a middle-of-the-night drop as one hasn’t happened since Amazon Prime Day in late June.

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

Sony Direct and more PS5 retailers tracked

These are just five of the retailers in the US that we’re constantly tracking on Twitter when it comes to PS5 stock, but far from the full list. We’re also monitoring restock dates at Newegg, Costco, Antonline, and Sam’s Club. Sony PlayStation Direct, the official store for the PlayStation 5 brand, has suddenly been having more consoles in stock in recent weeks. And because it has a waiting room, we’re able to issue an alert at least 15 minutes in advance of its virtual queue opening, so no need to panic.

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

Where not buy PS5, according to our restock tracker

There are places in the US that you shouldn’t buy a PS5. Sears and QVC are offering “bundles” but the accessories they are charging hundreds of dollars for actually cost $35 at Target. When you break down the price, these often $1,100 bundles mean you’re paying more than $600 for those $35 in accessories, yet they splay out the accessories and even include gear like an HDMI and power cable like they’re perks.

Online stores like Silicon Nerd haven’t delivered consoles to any of our followers, so you shouldn’t buy there until further notice (and maybe try to get your money back). We’ll continue to update this list so you have the best chance to get a PS5 console before that looming October deadline to buy PS5.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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In 25 years, I’ve never played Tomb Raider – until now

Admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 10:00:22 +0000

If you’re a fan of computer games, then Tomb Raider will hold no mysteries to you. After 25 years it’s a franchise that has spawned numerous sequels, multiple movies which have all equalled to over billions in sales. But despite all this, I’ve never actually played Tomb Raider until now.

I’m not entirely sure how this ended up being the situation. In theory, a game which includes action, adventure, mystery, and a half-decent plot, should be one that I would go out of my way to play.

While not every game in the Tomb Raider franchise has been a stone-cold classic, there are several which have received excellent reviews. But the very first game in particular was revolutionary for its time, and defined the foundation for how a 3D game could be played.

A plumber and a mutant hedgehog

25 years ago, the leading protagonists in video games were a plumber and a mutant hedgehog. Video games still retained something of an unwanted reputation as a niche hobby. So in 1996, a game was released by a company based in Derby, England, which featured a strong female protagonist (as opposed to a princess who needed rescuing), it was almost inevitable that it was going to garner widespread attention.

While a lot of the coverage focussed uncomfortably on Lara’s appearance and led to infamous controversies such as Nude Raider, it’s a legitimate question, as to whether Lara was a symbol of female empowerment, or a teenage boy’s fantasy. But as a female lead, Lara really was something new and different. Look at other games released in 1996: Super Mario 64, Duke Nukem 3D, Quake, Crash Bandicoot, Resident Evil and Donkey Kong Country 3, to name a few. Female protagonists were few and far between, so it was refreshing to see Lara Croft.

Just as importantly, the game was made by CORE Design, previously known for Rick Dangerous and BC Racers, received great reviews. It would never have managed to survive for 25 years, or become such a widely-known franchise, if there wasn’t more to it than it starring a woman. Praised for its gameplay, level design, a compelling character, and a plot, Tomb Raider deserved the attention it got as a game. 81 million games sold over the last 25 years means it must be doing something right.

(Image credit: CORE Design / Crystal Dynamics)

I’ve never locked Winston in the freezer

But I wouldn’t really know about any of this first-hand, because up until now, I had never played a Tomb Raider game. I’ve never locked her butler Winston in the freezer. I’ve never attempted to reconcile the fact that she can kill a T-Rex, but immediately dies when she goes near anything spiky, which might explain the absence of cacti in her home. Or the fact she isn’t a patron of hedgehog charities.

But now, after 25 years, I have finally found time and opportunity to experience Tomb Raider, in all its glory, for the first time. After playing the first two games, released in 1996 and 1997, here are some of my first-hand impressions.

(Image credit: CORE Design / Crystal Dynamics)

Danger lurks around every corner

Tomb Raider doesn’t flirt with you. You get thrown straight into the game, immediately high up in the Andes, navigating through a temple. It immediately struck me how little hand-holding you get, in comparison to modern games. The levels are big, tricky, and can be unforgiving. Spending time in Lara’s mansion to learn the ropes is time well spent.

So on my second attempt to play the game, having learned what the controls were, I was able to start to appreciate the game itself. There is a lot to appreciate across the board. Graphically, while it obviously can’t compete with more recent games, it holds up pretty well after 25 years. Yes, it’s a bit blocky, and the colour palette isn’t the richest, but overall, it’s very respectable, and has a design that fits with the time, alongside other factors.

(Image credit: CORE Design / Crystal Dynamics)

Of course there’s a T-Rex

The music is fantastic. Composed by Nathan McCree, it just sits in the background, then rises to a crescendo, giving you just enough time to prepare for impending strife. Possibly in the form of a T-Rex, because of course there’s a T-Rex. Danger lurks around every corner. Sometimes the corner itself is dangerous. I have died. A lot.

Even the first level is a challenge. I’d consider myself a reasonably competent gamer. But the death toll is staggering. I cannot think of another game that has made me want to rage quit this much. Every time you think you’ve negotiated the dangerous bit, there are more spikes, or boulders, or Wolves, Bears, Tigers, or Tyrannosaurs. Or a massive hole in the ground that you didn’t see. A single misstep means death. I could probably explain in an entire podcast series on the myriad ways I have killed Lara Croft by mistake.

But as annoying as it has been, I am still impressed by what this game has to offer. Enormous, labyrinthine levels to explore. Atmospheric music. The scale of the ambition is impressive. And compared to other games in 1996, it’s pretty easy to see why this has endured. You can sense how Lara may have paved the way for later female protagonists in games.

She made it acceptable for a main character to be a woman, rather than a plumber, Hedgehog or a Bandicoot. Without her, would we have had games like Perfect Dark, Bayonetta, or Horizon: Zero Dawn? Perhaps we’ll never know definitively, but Tomb Raider certainly helped to give strong female lead characters legitimacy, in a world where gaming was overwhelmingly masculine.

I’ll be going back to it again

Having at long last experienced Tomb Raider, I have no doubt I’ll be going back to it again, and discovering more unexpected ways to die.

It’s a challenge that demands to be overcome. But perhaps my biggest takeaway is this: I thought I was relatively capable at video games. Tomb Raider has made me question everything.

Welcome to TechRadar’s PC Gaming Week 2021, our celebration of the greatest gaming platform on Earth. Despite the global pandemic and ongoing GPU shortages, PC gaming has never been more vibrant and exciting, and throughout the week we’ll be reflecting this with a selection of in-depth articles, interviews and essential buying guides.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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Dead Space remake’s new necromorph tech is really a-peeling

Admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 09:18:05 +0000

Developer Motive Studio shared new details about the upcoming Dead Space remake in an almost hour-long Twitch stream on August 31, including how the game’s story, combat, and gameplay mechanics have been tweaked for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC reboot.

One particularly gruesome new mechanic that caught the eye is how you can expose the innards of necromorphs via a new technique called ‘peeling’ – which is exactly what it sounds like.

Previously, players could dismember the limbs of encroaching necromorphs using Isaac Clarke’s plasma cutter and various other weaponry. But in the remake, you’ll need to peel back the flesh of Isaac’s sinewy adversaries and expose the bone before you can lop off a leg or flailing arm like some sort of deranged surgeon.

The ‘dynamic flesh peeling system’ also acts as a damage indicator for when you’re using weapons that don’t revolve around amputation, like the pulse rifle, so it should be more obvious when you’re about to finish off your foe – handy with ammo being so scarce.

It’s clear that the peeling mechanic will impact how Dead Space plays, then, and creative director Roman Campos-Oriola said it should encourage players to use different weapons to get the job done.

“For us what is interesting is this opens a whole new layer of shooting and combat loop, where you can have some weapons that are better at carving through the enemies and some that are better at cleaning them and removing their flesh,” said Campos-Oriola.

The new Dead Space’s ‘Peeling’ tech to show necromorph damage is horrific and amazing in equal measures. Can’t wait to play this (eventually). pic.twitter.com/uwXDjWT0MEAugust 31, 2021

The Dead Space remake incorporates two quality of life changes from Dead Space 2 as well. Isaac will now have a voice and will speak during conversations with other characters and when appropriate. Changes have also been made to the zero-g simulation sections that make the game feel more realistic and easier to navigate.

“Now you can interact as you fly around, go into tighter corridors and it allows us to revisit some of the old content and introduce new ways to navigate,” Campos-Oriola explained. “It allows us to create new environments with new challenges to surprise the people who know the game.”

Analysis: A faithful remake with pleasing additions

Even though it’s early in development, the Dead Space remake looks like it’s shaping up nicely. By sticking to the core foundation of what made the original so great, Motive Studio appears to be focusing on making careful and considered changes.

This will also be reflected in the remake’s story, which Campos-Oriola said will stay faithful to the original, but will be enriched with new elements and additional content – none of which will be hidden behind microtransactions (as in Dead Space 3).

While remakes can sometimes be a poisoned chalice due to nostalgia masking many of the game’s flaws, we’ve seen some fantastic revivals in recent years including Resident Evil 2 and the sublime Final Fantasy VII Remake. If Dead Space can come close to matching either of those, we’re in for a treat.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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Nodwin’s tournament ‘Valorant Conquerors Championship’

Admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 10:03:07 +0000

Nodwin Gaming’s first Valorant tournament called the ‘Valorant Conquerors Championship’ which began registration back in June is in its final days. The finals of the tournament have begun today and are set to take place over the weekend.

VCC is a big deal for South Asian Valorant players as it gives them a chance to qualify for the APAC Last Chance Qualifier and fight for a spot at the Valorant Champions Tour 2021 for the first time. The Grand Finale of this series will be streamed live from August 27- 29 on Nodwin’s YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels.

VCC 2021 Grand Finale has South Asia’s best Valorant players battle it out for a chance to grab a spot at VCT 2021 and take home a part of the grand prize pool of Rs 25,00,000 (approximately $33,000). The four teams that have qualified for the Grand Finale are:

(Image credit: Riot Games)

Team Exploit
Enigma Gaming
Global Esports
Velocity Gaming

These 4 teams will play double-elimination best-of-three matches and a Best of five Finals.

“The grand finale of the VCC 2021 is going to be an action-packed, edge-of-the-seat viewing experience long-awaited by fans across the globe. You’ll be watching some of the best Valorant professionals compete from the South-Asian region and have a shot at the global competitive circuit. Be there to support your favourite teams as we create history together,” said Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and MD, Nodwin Gaming.

Nodwin Gaming partnered with Riot Games, for the Valorant Conquerors Championship, putting the region in the VCT 2021 roadmap for the first time. VCC 2021 has paved the way for international recognition of South Asian teams and players.

When Riot Games announced earlier this year that it is about to get its first world circuit tour competition in the form of the Valorant Champions Tour it got players excited globally. But when the company announced this new tournament initially it seemed to have left out India which infuriated the India gaming community.

But reports soon followed that Riot Games had reconsidered and would be giving an India team the opportunity to participate in the Valorant Champions Tour. Riot’s Valorant Champions will be a first-of-its-kind global competitive circuit that will have year-long regional competitions that lead up to a Champions event.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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Diablo 2 Resurrected: all the Diablo 2 remaster news you need to know

Admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 09:51:24 +0000

Activision Blizzard lawsuit

Publisher Activision Blizzard, responsible for the game this article refers to, is currently embroiled in ongoing litigation in regards to claims reporting a workplace culture that allegedly enabled acts of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination. Read our Activision Blizzard lawsuit timeline of events for ongoing coverage of the events.

It’s official: Diablo 2 is getting remastered after 20 years in the form of Diablo 2 Resurrected. And we finally now know the Diablo 2: Resurrected release date, set for September 23, 2021.

In this remaster, Blizzard is aiming to keep the feel of the original Diablo 2, but will add updated graphics, Dolby 7.1 surround sound and make some key quality of life improvements. You’ll even be able to switch back and forth between the updated graphics and the original sprite-based textures, just like in Halo: The Master Chief Collection. We enjoyed the time we spent with the game during its technical alpha and its recent beta so we’re looking forward to seeing its final form in a matter of weeks.

It may be 20 years old but Diablo 2 (and its expansion pack Lord of Destruction) is probably one of the most influential games of the past few years. Diablo 2’s kill-loot-repeat action RPG mechanics sits heavily on the likes of Destiny 2 and Borderlands, while its randomly-generated dungeons and monster hordes have been echoed in “roguelite” style games like The Binding of Isaac and Hades. And that’s before considering games that take direct inspiration from Diablo, like the Torchlight and Dungeon Siege franchises.

Want to know more? Read on for everything we know about Diablo 2: Resurrected.

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Diablo 2 Resurrected: key facts

What is it? A remaster of arguably the most influential action RPG ever
What can I play it on? PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
When can I play it? September 23, 2021.

Diablo 2 Resurrected release date and price

(Image credit: Blizzard)

The Diablo 2 Resurrected release date is confirmed for 23 September, 2021. The Diablo 2 remaster will be available on PC (as you’d expect) but also on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4 and Nintendo Switch for the very first time.

The PC version of Diablo 2 Resurrected is available to pre-purchase through Activision Blizzard’s Battle.net client, and costs $39.99 / £34.99 / approximately AU$52.99.

The Diablo Prime Evil Collection is also available to purchase on the store page for $54.99 / £49.99 / approximately AU$72.99. This includes both Diablo 2 Resurrected and Diablo 3, its Reaper of Souls and Rise of the Necromancer expansions and a handful of extra cosmetic content.

Diablo 2 Resurrected Beta

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Diablo 2 has now gone through a Technical Alpa (which we very much enjoyed) and an open beta (which we also enjoyed). Now that these testing periods have been and gone, it looks like the next step is going to be the game’s release.

Those who took part in the beta will not see their progress carry over to the live final release in September.

Diablo 2 Resurrected trailers

E3 2021 gave us a fresh look at Diablo 2: Resurrected:

Having played the technical alpha, it wasn’t a particularly revealing trailer, but as it was revealed during the Xbox showcase of the E3 2021 event, it did reveal some more details about that platform’s version – expect 4K visuals, 8-player co-op and 60fps frame rates.

Blizzard gave us a closer look at Diablo 2 Resurrected’s gameplay during a deep dive at Blizzconline 2021. The video lasts nearly 50 minutes but goes into great detail on what fans can expect from the remaster. Check it out below:

Blizzard announced the Diablo 2 remaster at Blizzconline 2021. The announcement trailer below was revealed during the conference, giving us an idea of what to expect from Diablo 2 Resurrected.

Diablo 2 Resurrected: what we know so far

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Rumors of a Diablo 2 remaster have been circulating for years – many hoped that it would coincide with the games 20th anniversary in 2020, but that came and went with Blizzard focusing on Diablo 4 and the Diablo: Immortal mobile game instead. However, BlizzCon 2021 finally confirmed the game is coming this year, and that Diablo 2: Resurrected will be available on every platform you could hope for.

To understand why the announcement took so long, we first need to discuss another Blizzard remake – Warcraft 3: Reforged. Blizzard’s ‘Team 1’ development team had been working on the real-time strategy remaster, another beloved game. But its release in 2020 was not well received, with missing features and problematic terms and conditions putting off what should have been a thriving map-making and modding community. It currently sits among the worst user-rated games on score aggregator MetaCritic.

Team 1 had been tasked also with reviving Diablo 2, but a Bloomberg report suggests that Blizzard’s owners Activision got cold feet following Warcraft 3: Reforged’s reception. Instead, it disbanded Team 1 (which had already been pulled off ongoing StarCraft 2 development, and had seen its hero-shooter Heroes of the Storm fade to obscurity). Now, with Team 1 gone, Activision has brought in its former subsidiary Vicarious Visions, merging it with the development operations of Blizzard, and (as we reported last year) apparently tasking it with taking on the Diablo 2 mantle.

While the reduced autonomy of a once-powerhouse studio like Blizzard’s seems troubling, the newly-merged Vicarious Visions may be the perfect team for the job. It has long-standing pedigree for remaking and reworking existing games, dating back to the magic it worked bringing the likes of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skateboarding and Jet Set Radio to the Game Boy Advance. In recent years it’s focussed almost exclusively on next-and-current-gen remakes, bringing together the delightful Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and the note-perfect Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remake. While its action RPG experience is limited to a couple of Marvel Ultimate Alliance and X-Men Legends remakes over a decade ago, it could thrive under Blizzard’s tutelage, and has recent relevant experience working as a support team for Bungie on Destiny 2.

Things certainly look promising and we’re a matter of weeks from the remaster’s release, knowing that it’s taking advantage of modern gaming hardware to bring us high-resolution visuals (with support for up to 4K resolution) and remastered 7.1 Dolby Surround while preserving the spirit and feeling of the original release.

Diablo 2 Resurrected – what’s new?

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Diablo 2 Resurrected looks to be more than a simple remaster. In fact, Blizzard has been pretty open about new features and quality of life updates we can expect in the new release.

System requirements

A new game means new system requirements and Diablo 2: Resurrected’s beta brought with it a confirmation of what these are for PC players. 30GB of storage will be needed overall and to meet minimum requirements you’ll want Intel Core i3-3250/AMD FX-4350 processor, Nvidia GTX 660/AMD Radeon HD 7850 for your graphics card and 8GB of RAM. Meeting minimum requirements means a resolution of 1280×720.

For 1080p resolution and smoother running overall, you’ll want to hit the recommended specifications. This requires 16 GB of RAM, Nvidia GTX 1060/AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT graphics card and Intel Core i5-9600k/AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor.

Increased accessibility

In a recent post on its website, Blizzard has detailed some of the ways it’s bringing a “smoother and more accessible gameplay experience to as many people as possible”.

Design and UX accessibility lead, Drew McCrory, explained, “Accessibility is one major area of opportunity for this remaster to shine, and our intention to bring games to more players has evolved and is more refined now than ever before.”

Auto-gold pick-up, for example, was implemented so that if a player with “a disability or hand injury was looting in Diablo II: Resurrected, this option could alleviate physical stress without compromising the core gameplay experience.” McCrory notes, though, that “While we implemented this option with one type of player in mind, we ended up benefiting countless other players by giving them a quality of life (QoL) option they can choose to enable when they configure their personal Diablo II experience. This exhibits the ‘Solve for One, Extend to Many’ principle, leading to a greater impact throughout the player community.”

Another feature is enabling miss text. According to McCrory, the team was finding that players “weren’t getting the right level of feedback for when they were missing enemies in melee”. In response, they added an option to enable miss text for visual feedback. “It’s a small thing,” McCrory says, “Purists don’t need it, but what it does is provide a level of feedback to the players who don’t know how all the inner systems are working and reinforces the RPG element of our game.”

Then there’s key bindings. McCrory said the control scheme for controllers “allows for heavy amounts of modification” and that there’s support for “a long list of bindable actions for the mouse and keyboard.” There are twelve bindable keys which allow all actions/skills to be “assigned in any way the player desires”.

Finally, McCrory touched on audio accessibility. As a result of player feedback, in the options menu it’ll be possible to “adjust the volume levels of a multitude of audio channels”, from the audio levels of voices, to UI cues, footsteps, combat gore and more.

There are more accessibility features beyond what McCrory covers in the post and he said the team will “do our best to enable as many players as possible to play Diablo II: Resurrected.” Blizzard added to the post that it’ll “continue to evaluate areas to improve.”

Quality-of-life changes based on player feedback

Blizzard’s been hard at work implementing changes on Diablo 2 Resurrected, based on player feedback from the technical alpha test held back in April 2021.

Firstly, certain spell effects have been tweaked to be more readable in-game, with a focus on Lighting, Blizzard and the Paladin’s Holy Freeze ability. Other graphical changes, such as making certain weapons, armor and potions more identifiable are also being added.

Additionally, your loot stash is getting a big upgrade in Diablo 2 Resurrected. Your personal storage chest features three tabs of 100 slots each, perfect for if you can’t help but hoard your hard-earned loot.

Blizzard is also working on improved load times, a more readable automap and improved mob spawns so you won’t enter a room and be immediately engulfed by Diablo’s minions.

Easier to play without being easier

Following the technical alpha, Diablo 2 Resurrected developers have been listening to fan feedback on how they can make the game better than its original, without changing what made it so special to fans.

Speaking to IGN, Rob Gallerani, Principal Designer on Diablo II: Resurrected, said that “For the most part people really liked” the quality of life changes that the team has made, adding “In fact they want to see more. The game is still a work in progress – this was a tech alpha – so even from the design side we have a lot of thoughts about [additional] quality of life updates and ways we can make them better.”

Gallerani pointed out the line between making the game easier and making it easier to play, saying: “The line is simple in that we don’t want to make the game easier. We want to remain faithful, so there’s a difference between making the game easier and making the game easier to play. With some feedback and requests coming in it’s easy for us to not do a thing because that will make the game easier. When people say, ‘We don’t want to worry about arrows anymore, give us infinite arrows’, or more broadly, ‘I want a giant inventory’. Stuff like that removes important choices; do I pick this item up or do I leave it behind? Do I go back to town now? Making the inventory bigger means more charms in your bag and that starts to change what the game is.”

You can carry over your original Diablo 2 save file
If you’ve still got your original Diablo 2 save file, which could be over two decades old at this point, you might be pleased to know that it’ll transfer over seamlessly to Diablo 2 Resurrected.

Speaking to IGN, Diablo 2 Resurrected producer Matthew Cederquist said: “Yes, keep your old save files. Back when we were working on [the remaster], we wondered if the old save files would work, so we kind of shoved it in, and it worked! So yes, your local single-player save files will carry over.”

You can make use of a shared item stash
A massive quality of life upgrade over the original release, Diablo 2 Resurrected will introduce a shared item stash for use between all your characters. This means you won’t have to create new characters for the sole purpose of stuffing their pockets full of the loot you’re not using.

We’ve seen similar systems in other loot-em-ups since Diablo 2’s initial release, such as in the Borderlands series, and we’re happy to see that Diablo 2 Resurrected won’t feel dated in this regard thanks to the introduction of a shared item stash.

Accessibility settings
Diablo 2 Resurrected will feature a suite of accessibility options not present in the original game. These include new colorblind and low-light visibility settings, more readable text options, as well as full controller support for PC.

Quality of life settings also fall into the accessibility category, as many of these updates can be toggled on or off depending on your preferences. For example, the new auto-gold function will let players pick up gold by simply walking over it, but the more traditional clicking to pick it up can be swapped in at any time.

Cross-progression between PC and console versions
Considering Blizzard is releasing Diablo 2 Resurrected on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch platforms as well as PC, it only makes sense to be able to carry your save files between them, right? It turns out Blizzard is planning to let players do just that.

Blizzard has confirmed that cross-progression will be available from the PC version to consoles, though it’s yet to say which consoles will definitely support this feature. We love the idea of playing Diablo 2 Resurrected on PC, then immediately picking up where we left off on the Switch for when we need to leave the house.

Better Battle.net integration
Battle.net integration will make it easier than ever to invite friends into your Diablo 2 Resurrected play session. Blizzard has stressed the simplicity of clicking on someone in your friends list for an instant invite. It’s obviously something we take for granted in modern multiplayer games, but it’s a quality of life upgrade for Diablo 2 nonetheless, eschewing the need to manually search through endless lists in a server browser.

Battle.net’s heightened security will also make Diablo 2’s infamous item duplication glitches and tricks a thing of the past. As far as we know, such exploits will not be possible in Diablo 2 Resurrected, and players who want to game the system will still have to play the original version to maintain that experience.

Cutscenes are being remade from scratch
Instead of just upscaling the original’s cutscenes, Diablo 2 Resurrected is opting for the more ambitious approach of completely remaking them from the ground up. Blizzard has stressed that the cutscenes will play out the same, shot-for-shot, albeit with the full power of modern CGI behind them.

Blizzard are among the best in the business when it comes to creating pre-rendered cutscenes, so we’re eager to see how Diablo 2’s classic cinematics will look with a shiny new coat of paint.

Diablo 2 Resurrected at BlizzConline 2021

(Image credit: Blizzard)

With Diablo 4 still seemingly some years away from release, BlizzConline 2021 thankfully included the surprise reveal of a new-look Diablo 2, one to tide over long-time fans and bring younger gamers up to date with the roots of the franchise ahead of its flashy new entrant.

During this year’s online version of the annual show, we saw updates on Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, a World of Warcraft Classic Burning Crusade update and, of course, that Diablo 2: Resurrected game we’re so worked up about.

BlizzConline took place over February 19 and 20, and was free for all fans to attend online.

We shouldn’t expect to see any updates on Diablo 2 Resurrected at a physical version of BlizzCon 2021 as Blizzard has announced that the show is cancelled.

“The ongoing complexities and uncertainties of the pandemic have impacted our ability to properly move forward on many of these fronts, and ultimately we’re now past the point where we’d be able to develop the kind of event we’d want to create for you in November,” writes Saralyn Smith, Executive Producer of BlizzCon.

An online event with “smaller in-person gatherings” will apparently be held in early 2022, much like BlizzConline 2021. More details on this are expected at a later date, however, Diablo 2 is still expected to launch in some form this year so it remains unclear when we’ll get our next update.

What makes Diablo 2 so special?

(Image credit: Blizzard)

So much of what makes Blizzard a special developer is wrapped up in Diablo 2. Its loot system is addictive, its randomised dungeon elements make for near-infinite replayability, its multiplayer a blast and its monster design truly ghoulish. If there’s no Diablo 2, there’s no BattleNet, Blizzard’s multiplayer platform that underpinned World of Warcraft (while WoW itself takes many fundamental ideas from Diablo 2, from the class based-combat to the importance of gear and skill builds).

Diablo 2 was pioneering in its day, and remains great fun even among modern greats and pretenders to its throne. But its sprite-based visuals are dated now, and it lacks some of the quality of life features we come to expect from modern games. A team like Vicarious Visions can bring it bang up to date, and introduce a whole new generation of fans to the series in time for Diablo 4’s big arrival.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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Panasonic’s wearable gaming speaker sits on your shoulders – and looks kind of weird

Admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 09:41:23 +0000

Hate wearing a gaming headset? The Panasonic GN01 wearable gaming speaker should make headset hair and clammy ears a thing of the past thanks to its shoulder-mounted design.

That’s right: instead of sitting over your lug holes, the Panasonic GN01 rests snugly on your shoulders, and promises to deliver “natural, realistic surround sound” from its four channel speakers.

The GN01 comes with three specific gaming modes that were developed jointly with the Final Fantasy 14 Online sound team at Square Enix, too. You can pick between ‘Role-Playing Game mode’, which will supposedly create “a sense of reality and intensity”, ‘First-Person Shooter mode’, tuned to help you hear sounds such as footsteps and the like, and ‘Voice mode’, if you want to hear in-game dialogue loud and clear.

The GN01 also includes a Cinema, Music and Stereo mode, if the gaming modes above don’t take your fancys, so you can watch your favorite Adam Sandler films or listen to Metallica using a more tailored EQ setting.

The Panasonic GN01, which is referred to as the ‘Soundslayer’ for maximum cringe, also lets you voice chat with your friends. Panasonic says that the GN01 is equipped with a “high-performance noise and echo cancelling dual microphone”, which is designed to prevent interference from your shoulder-mounted speaker while you chat.

Unfortunately, the Panasonic GN01 isn’t wireless. Instead, you’ll need to snake a three meter long cable into your console or PC, and an audio cable is required if you want to use the GN01 on Xbox consoles. Be careful, then, if you forget you’re wearing a device that sits around your neck before you pop to the bathroom.

Opinion: Could shoulder-mounted headsets be the future?

(Image credit: Panasonic)

As someone who owns countless gaming headsets, it’s hard to see the appeal of the Panasonic GN01 right away. Having a shoulder-mounted speaker isn’t the most practical design unless you live alone, and the prospect of having a long cable connected from my console to the couch already turns me off.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not intrigued by the GN01’s potential. If it can create a convincing surround sound experience, it could be a great option for those who don’t want to buy a soundbar or don’t have the room to house a 5.1 home theatre speaker setup.

It’ll also be interesting to see how it handles voice chat. With sound playing all around you, right where the microphones are located, I’m curious to find out whether it will successfully prevent your audio from leaking into your conversations.

The Panasonic GN01 releases exclusively through Amazon for $199 / £159.99 and will be available late September 2021. It’s compatible with PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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Xbox Series X vs Xbox One X: will it be worth the upgrade?

Admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 10:10:23 +0000

Xbox Series X vs Xbox One X: which one is right for you?

The Xbox Series X brings you a truly next-gen gaming experience. That’s because Microsoft’s flagship console can now hit higher framerates – up to 120fps, which almost eliminates load times completely. It also offers far greater visual fidelity than the aging Xbox One X ever could.

What’s more, the Xbox Series X boasts a number of quality of life features, including Quick Resume and FPS Boost, which lets you suspend multiple games at once so you can pick up at the point where you left off, as well as potentially quadruple the framerates of older titles.

However, if you already have an older Xbox One X, you don’t necessarily need to rush out and pick up Microsoft’s brand new system because it’s still an advanced and highly capable console in its own right. But what are the differences? And when should you admit you want a newer model and upgrade? That’s what this guide is all about. Below we put the two Xbox machines head-to-head to help you decide.

Choosing between these two Xbox consoles isn’t as straightforward as it seems because they cater to different needs. There’s also a lot more to consider than power, as price can often be the key deciding factor of any purchasing decision or potential upgrade.

The Xbox One X is Microsoft’s mid-gen refresh of the Xbox One. Think of it as Microsoft’s answer to Sony’s PS4 Pro. That means the Xbox One X is still an impressive console when it comes to sheer computing chops. We think it’s best for console players who want a tangible upgrade over the base systems they’ve had in the past when it comes to specs, as the console supports native 4K resolution and HDR. However, it has officially been discontinued, which makes finding stock tricky.

What’s more, now the Xbox Series X is here, the Xbox One X’s original appeal of being the most powerful console on the market doesn’t hold up. Microsoft’s new tower of power is significantly more powerful than its predecessor and also eclipses the older Xbox in practically every department. That being said, if you currently own an Xbox One X, or are looking for a 4K-capable console that’s equipped with a 4K Blu-Ray drive on the cheap, you shouldn’t overlook the Xbox One X just yet – or rush to upgrade if that’s your current console.

The good news for the Xbox One X is the more time that passes, the more appealing it becomes for some gamers. That’s because it’s price is now significantly cheaper than the Xbox Series X. And although its specs don’t compare, you are still able to play all the latest Xbox One games on this older console, albeit without some enticing graphical bells and whistles. The cheaper Xbox Series S is also limited to digital purchases only, as it doesn’t have a disc drive.

If you’ve been on the fence about whether you should upgrade, make a brand new purchase or simply want to know about the key differences between the two, you’re in the right place with this Xbox Series X vs Xbox One X guide.

If you’re interested in the disc-less and significantly cheaper alternative to the Xbox Series X, check out our Xbox Series S review for everything you need to know.

Xbox Series X vs Xbox One X price

The Xbox Series X costs $499 / £449 / AU$749, and matches the original MSRP of the Xbox One X. While this is, admittedly, very expensive, the Xbox Series X packs a lot of technology into its cuboid frame.

The problem right now is that the console is notoriously hard to find, with stock continuing to snapped up as soon as it appears, which can make it hard to find where to buy Xbox Series X.

However, the Xbox One X has had big price cuts over the past few months. We’ve seen the console drop well below it’s original asking price, but as Microsoft has since discontinued the Xbox One X, stock is becoming harder to find. If you do see an enticing deal, then, it’s worth snapping it up straight away.

Xbox Series X vs Xbox One X specs

(Image credit: Microsoft)

When it comes to specs, this is where the Xbox Series X really differentiates itself. The console is packed with some seriously impressive hardware, many of which allow for technological advancements that you simply won’t find on Xbox One X, such as graphically intensive ray tracing support and frame rates up to 120fps. Check out the Xbox Series X specs below:

CPU: Eight-core 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT) custom AMD 7nm
GPU: 12 teraflops 1.825GHz (locked)
RAM: 16GB GDDR6
Frame rate: Up to 120 fps
Resolution: Up to 8K
Optical: HD Blu-Ray disk drive
Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD

The console’s GPU also dwarfs that of the Xbox One X when it comes to computational power. It boasts a 12 teraflop GPU instead of the Xbox One X’s 6 teraflop GPU, making it essentially twice as powerful as Microsoft’s older machine.

The Xbox Series X also comes with a super-fast 1TB NVMe SSD, which has a transformative effect on games. It’s storage system can boost load times by up to 40 times higher than a regular mechanical hard drive, and the new storage format allows for features such as Quick Resume, where you can suspend and switch between multiple games at a time.

The SSD is used in conjunction with Microsoft’s new Xbox Velocity Architecture which, while in its early stages, promises to leave load times in the past and help overcome previous developer bottlenecks such as slow I/O performance and texture streaming.

The Xbox Series X CPU is also a gargantuan upgrade over that found inside the Xbox One X. It’s capable of pushing out 120fps frames per second at 4K resolution (providing you have a HDMI 2.1 compliant display), and many games that were previously capped to 30fps can now reach 60fps with ease for a more silky-smooth and responsive experience.

The Xbox One X, while certainly showing its age, is no slouch, though. Check out the Xbox One X specs below:

CPU: Eight-core 2.3GHz custom AMD
GPU: Six teraflops 1172 MHz
RAM: 12GB GDDR5
Frame rate: Up to 60 fps
Resolution: Up to 4K
Optical: HD Blu-Ray disk drive
Storage: 1TB HDD

The console is still capable of outputting a crystal clear native 4K resolution, and is compatible with all of the latest Xbox Series X games, though this may change in the future. Like the Xbox Series X, the Xbox One X also comes equipped with a 4K HD Blu-Ray drive, making it a great choice for home cinema enthusiasts who are looking to upgrade their set up for less.

What really holds it back, though, is it’s CPU, which is a huge bottleneck for the developers. The standard mechanical drive means load times in some titles can also be painful to sit through, but this can be circumvented somewhat with an external SSD. The Xbox One X is a great choice if you don’t mind that games will often run at 30fps, then, and we’re still huge fans of the console’s sleek design, quiet operation and media capabilities.

Xbox Series X vs Xbox One X games

(Image credit: 343 Industries)

With the Xbox Series X now available, there are some exciting titles available right now and on their way soon. Between first-party titles like Halo Infinite, Hellblade 2 and third-party blockbusters like Cyberpunk 2077 there are a growing number of Xbox Series X games you can play today and many that are coming in the future, though the Xbox Series X launch lineup isn’t as fleshed out as we’d like.

Some of the games that are out now or coming soon to Xbox Series X/S in the near future include:

You can see the full Xbox Series X launch lineup here or check out our Xbox Series X games list for the full list of confirmed Series X titles.

The Series X’s impressive specs in combination with the excellent value of Xbox Game Pass gives early adopters a ready-made library that benefits from faster load times, better graphics, and higher resolution.

Backwards compatibility is also excellent on the Xbox Series X. You can play hundreds of games from previous Xbox generations on your new system, including original Xbox titles, but Microsoft has gone a step further with Smart Delivery. Consider this ‘forwards compatibility’ in the sense that when you buy a compatible game, it’s unlocked on all supporting hardware. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 supports Smart Delivery, so owners of the game on Xbox One X will benefit from a free upgrade to Xbox Series X.

Microsoft has recently encouraged developers to make these upgrades free through Smart Delivery in light of some publishers opting to charge more for cross-gen bundles.

(Image credit: Ninja Theory)

Smart Delivery also means if buying an Xbox One X has cleaned you out, you can buy the likes of Halo Infinite and play it on your current-gen console, safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to buy it again for Series X once you’ve cobbled together the cash for an upgrade. Your save data will even be carried back and forth too.

This does, of course, mean that the Xbox Series X isn’t really dangling any exclusives in front of you to force you into an upgrade, which is an accessible approach but perhaps frustrating for those who like to feel like they’re really getting that fresh next-gen experience.

While the Series X will offer the best version of a game, the Xbox One X will still be able to play the same game, albeit at a lower quality. Xbox is being very dogged about its inclusive approach for the next generation, promising it won’t have any Xbox Series X exclusives for the first few years, and that Xbox One players won’t be left behind in the leap to next-gen. A bonus, then, if you’re sticking with Microsoft’s older machine.

With all that in mind, there isn’t really an exclusive game that will make you rush out to upgrade to the Xbox Series X. Making the jump will be more about wanting to see those games at their absolute best running on a faster console, or if you want the very best possible Xbox experience available.

Xbox One X vs Xbox Series X verdict

(Image credit: Micosoft)

The Xbox Series X is an enticing prospect, especially for those who are already invested in the Xbox ecosystem. Its graphical grunt combined with the excellent Xbox Game Pass subscription service means Xbox fans should seriously consider the latest and greatest console, with its impressive technical specs and plenty of hope for the future.

For early adopters, the Series X’s lack of exclusive games is at least offset by an instant collection of great games thanks to Game Pass and backwards compatibility. Numerous games are receiving Xbox Series X optimizations, too, making them look and play better than ever before. And with Smart Delivery, those looking to upgrade from their Xbox One X can buy supported games now and upgrade for free to the Series X version once they can afford the new unit.

Since the cost of the Xbox One X is likely to continue to fall, particularly now the Series X is approaching a whole year since launch, there are few reasons to buy it at full price right now. Even then, the better value prospect is the cheaper, but less powerful, Xbox Series S, though you will have to make do with a 1440p resolution output.

All things considered, it’s not really a battle between the Xbox One X vs Xbox Series X. Instead, Microsoft seems to be ensuring a harmonious, flexible transition between consoles for those who can afford an upgrade and want the best of the best from an Xbox.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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How Season on PS5 is taking in-game photography back to the future

Admin — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 09:00:00 +0000

How can a camera change the way you see the world? This is the foundational question of photography, but also an increasing number of photo-centric games, including the much-anticipated PS5 and PC road trip adventure Season.

Season is part of a recent wave of games that make photography their cornerstone, rather than a tacked-on bonus mode. Some, such as Umurangi Generation, present the past-time as an urban artform, a tool to reclaim space through documentation. Others, like the classic Japanese horror game Fatal Frame, use the camera as a weapon, one capable of dispelling demonic presences.

But as members of the Season development team told us in an exclusive interview, their game is different. It’s a quieter, more contemplative title that rewards careful observation. And its virtual camera, rooted in the meditative charms of film photography, is designed to foster an intimacy between the player and environment.

An analogue approach

In Season’s reveal trailer, we see a young protagonist cycling around a beautiful Studio Ghibli-esque world. “Our grandparents lived for a thousand years, and our parents had a century to themselves,” she says wistfully. “But us, we have one season.”

The world, as she knows it, is on the verge of collapse, and in order to make the very most of its last days, she sets off on a bike with the goal of recording its beauty. We catch a glimpse of a sketchbook filled with drawings of a ruinous monument, a tape recorder capturing the delicate sound of a dragonfly’s wings, and, most importantly, a camera directed at a bright-eyed primate.

“Everything in the game is about what photography is about,” says creative director and writer on Season, Kevin Sullivan. “What it means to take a photo, what it says about the photographer, the fact that we can freeze time into images, these incomplete glimpses of the past. It’s so much in line with the themes we’re trying to show the player,” he adds.

Season, developed by Montreal-based studio Scavengers, has been worked on in one capacity or another since 2016, when it was just an idea of Sullivan’s inspired by his travels in south-east Asia. Before anything had even been programmed, he created video essays for the team, and even a functional board game to demonstrate how it might work in practice.

Now that the game’s production is in full swing, its form is a little clearer. There’s a world to explore filled with people to talk to, and of course, a bicycle to get around. At various points you’ll be able to pull out your camera to document your surroundings – animals, certainly, and panoramic vistas, but architecture and graffiti, all of which impart something special about the place before the “mysterious cataclysm washes everything away.”

(Image credit: Scavengers Studio)

Everything in the game is about what photography is about. What it means to take a photo, what it says about the photographer, the fact that we can freeze time into images, these incomplete glimpses of the past.
Kevin Sullivan, Scavengers Studio

In fact, the photography in Season has changed a great deal since its initial 2020 trailer. Camera aficionados may spot a machine that resembles a retro Bolex-style video camera (above), but this has morphed into a more straightforward film camera, says Stephen Tucker, senior VFX artist.

What hasn’t changed, he explains, is an emphasis on “older forms” of documentation. A keen photographer, he mentions his own Polaroid camera, the pleasing artifacts that emerge from using vintage film with an analogue camera and the relative “lack of control” if offers. “You won’t have a zoom range from 10mm to 300mm or something,” he continues. “You’re going to have to roughly stand in the place that you need to stand in to take the photo that you want.” The aim ultimately, he says, is to create a device that feels “textural.”

Depth of field

Tucker isn’t the only photography enthusiast on the Season development team. Sullivan’s father was an aerial photographer, which meant his family’s basement was essentially a gigantic dark room. Then, at college, he started to get interested in the processing of analogue film while working on friends’ Super 16mm and 35mm movie projects.

There’s also Irwin Chiu Hau, 3D programmer on Season, who once worked as a professional photographer at weddings. He has his own collection of DSLRs and now takes landscape and macro photography for pleasure. The latter, essentially extreme close-up photography, feeds directly into Season. “There’s a lot of little things in the world to shoot,” Chiu Hau says tantalizingly.

(Image credit: Scavengers Studio)

But outside of real-world devices, earlier video games have helped shape Season’s in-game camera.

Tucker references the 1980s disposable camera used in the first-person drama 2016 Firewatch. In that game you get to snap the beautiful Wyoming forest and mountains, coated, at various points, in radiant orange sun. Another is 2017’s first-person adventure What Remains of Edith Finch?, which gives players an old-school camera for the duration of a rainy hunting trip. “I love the feel of the cameras in both of those games,” says Tucker.

Firewatch and What Remains of Edith Finch? arrived before video game photography as an in-game mechanic became really popular. More recently, Sludge Life and the award-winning Umurangi Generation have cast players as photographers in distinct cyberpunk futures. And just a few months ago, cult classic Pokémon Snap made its long-awaited return for players excited to pap their favorite made-up critters.

The upcoming game Martha Is Dead sees you load a twin-lens reflex camera with film and even develop them in a virtual darkroom. (Image credit: Wired Productions)

There are also two titles on the horizon which promise to add their own spin to the burgeoning micro-genre. Toem is a cute-looking adventure featuring anthropomorphic characters, while Martha Is Dead (above) takes the camera into altogether spookier territory with its 1940s Italian horror story.

Photography as a mechanic is seemingly in rude health, but none of these games quite offer the stirring, melancholic beauty of Season – the sense that the present is slipping through our fingers and must be commemorated in some way.

A change in focus

Still, regardless of tone and mood, what each of these games offer is a way of interacting with the world that doesn’t involve blowing it or its inhabitants up.

The camera can be a useful way of structuring gaze – of giving the simple act of looking a mechanical dimension for players who are keen to always do something.

Perhaps most importantly, it’s an action that’s intuitive for most people thanks to the extent to which smartphones have popularized the pastime. Everyone knows what to do, in other words. “The moment you take a camera out, you start to compose,” says Chiu Hau, “you start to frame the subject.”

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In-game screenshots from the game Season (PS5 and PC) (Image credit: Scavengers Studio)

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(Image credit: Scavengers Studio)

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(Image credit: Scavengers Studio)

While photography is increasingly folded into the gameplay of indie titles, for many blockbusters it exists as a discrete ‘photo mode‘, separate to the game itself. All the player needs to do is pause the action at a particularly captivating moment and begin composing their shot.

In popular, eye-catching action titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, and The Last of Us Part II, there’s almost an entire post-production suite folded into their photo modes, from lighting, focus, to field of view. Often, there are options to change the environment, including the time of day, weather, and even actual props in the shot.

While these tools are newly flexible, they’re part of a tradition that’s nearly as old as gaming itself – that of so-called ‘screenshotting’, the forebear of modern video game photography.

Virtual tourism

Throughout the pandemic, Tucker says he’s been enjoying blockbuster video games as a means of vicarious travel, photographing his way through their stories and worlds as if he were on one of his own adventure holidays.

The lush vegetation and striking ruinous environments of The Last of Us Part II have offered a worthy subject, so much so that he’s started printing out in-game photos using the Instax Mini Link.

(Image credit: Scavengers Studio)

For Sullivan, Season itself has manifested in the real world during the difficult past eighteen months. “I’ve been bike-riding around Montreal and taking pictures in an effort to try and learn more about it,” he says. “I feel like there’s an odd back and forth between the things we do influencing the game and feeling influenced by the game itself – just in certain pursuits and paying attention. Season feels like it’s bled into my actual life more than I’d anticipated it would when I started.”

Sullivan’s own experiences are precisely what’s appealing about Season and its in-game photography. Players looking for all of the bells and whistles of ‘photo modes’ may end up disappointed, and will those hoping for all the controls of a modern DSLR.

But those keen to experience the emotional essence of photography – specifically, the simplicity and immediacy of an analogue camera format – should be well served. By giving players a tool of the past, Season may provoke an entirely new perspective on the world.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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Exclusive: Death Stranding: Director’s Cut ultrawide support on PS5 isn’t really ultrawide at all

Admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 09:09:19 +0000

The announcement of Death Stranding: Director’s Cut for PS5 back in July came with one surprising detail that may have caught your eye: ultrawide support on PS5.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, under PlayStation 5 features, it said players would be able to “Choose from two picture modes – Performance Mode with upscaled 4K and up to 60FPS or Fidelity Mode in native 4K – both with ultra-wide and HDR support”.

(Image credit: Future)

Considering that the PS5 is unable to output at 1440p, let alone display common ultra-wide resolutions like 3440×1440 or 2560×1080, I was curious as to how Death Stranding: Director’s Cut ultrawide support would work exactly. Would the PS5 really output at 21:9 when connected to compatible displays?

The short answer is no. The PS5 doesn’t support ultrawide monitors, but Death Stranding: Director’s Cut does offer its own take on the aspect ratio that has become popular with PC players due to the immersive experience it provides.

A Sony spokesperson told TechRadar: “Death Stranding Director’s Cut offers a Widescreen Mode for an ultra-wide play experience, using the console’s standard 16:9 aspect ratio to display letterboxed gameplay equivalent to 21:9 aspect ratio.”

The original PlayStation Blog post for Death Stranding: Director’s Cut has since been updated to reflect what TechRadar was told.

Analysis: Ultrawide support on PS5 did seem too good to be true

(Image credit: 505 Games)

We were always sceptical of ultrawide support on PS5, but it would have been nice to see Sony supporting more video outputs, especially for players who connect their PS5 to a monitor.

Unlike Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One consoles, the PS5 only outputs at 1080p when connected to 1440p monitors, which is one of the most common resolutions for PC gamers. Ultrawide monitors, while less common, provide an incredibly immersive experience when gaming, but not every PC title has ultra-wide support.

It also wouldn’t have made sense for the PS5 to only support a few titles in ultra-wide, and would require work to ensure that the UI and other elements of Sony console were also compatible with a 21:9 aspect ratio.

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut widescreen support isn’t the same as The Order 1886, though, which was displayed in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio to make the game feel more cinematic. We’ve also seen letterboxing used in Tango Gameworks title, The Evil Within. Hideo Kojima, creator of Death Stranding, clarified that more information is shown when using the game’s wide mode, which lets players see a wider range of backgrounds, enemies and items.

Instead of cutting off the top and bottom with black, wide is really widening the left and right sides and rendering them with PS5. Therefore, the amount of information increases. You can see a wider range of backgrounds, enemies, and items. This makes the player look smaller. https://t.co/lWTPRotBDSAugust 18, 2021

As TechRadar’s Computing Editor Matt Hanson notes: “For PC gamers, ultrawide monitors are some of the best purchases you can make. The sheer immersion of a 21:9 aspect ratio is unrivalled, and by giving you a wider field of view, it can also grant you a competitive advantage – allowing you to see enemies you might have missed.”

However, Hanson isn’t convinced that ultrawide support on PS5 makes sense just yet.

“But do I want ultrawide support on the PS5? Not really. Consoles like the PS5 are designed to be played in front of a TV, and those are all 16:9. The percentage of PS5 players who will be using a 21:9 monitor is probably tiny – so Sony and it’s devs would be better off concentrating on less niche features.”

So will Death Stranding: Director’s Cut be worth playing in 21:9? That depends. It’s certainly a neat extra for players to experiment with, but those who were hoping to see proper ultra-wide support on PS5 may be disappointed.

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut releases exclusively on PS5 on September 24, 2021. Those who own the game on PS4 can upgrade to the PS5 version for $10 / £9.99.

Original by Techradar – Click here to read full post

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