A classical RPG isn’t necessarily the next step one would expect from the creators of the fighting game Skullgirls, which makes Indivisible something of an oddity. While it still has room for growth and polish, a recent hands-on showed how Lab Zero is merging its unique fighting sensibilities with classic genre tropes.

The fighting influence was most immediately apparent in the battle system, which operates with a rhythm and intensity not often seen in RPGs. Each of the characters is assigned to a face button that can be used twice with a cooldown timer. On top of those basic commands, each one has an up and down attack, and breaking an enemy’s defense with these powerful blows leaves them more vulnerable to subsequent attacks.

It’s the nature of fighting games to offer a great deal of depth from the timing and combinations of relatively simple commands, and the same is true for Indivisible. Breaking an enemy’s guard and then following up with well-timed attacks, attuned to your enemy’s weaknesses, feels very much like a fighter–to the point that at first I would often trip myself up trying to hit the next command with the rhythm of the fight, not realizing my cooldown timer hadn’t refreshed yet. It’s a system that definitely took some recalibration to grasp, but once I did it felt very satisfying.

The Skullgirls influence can also be seen in several other elements. The art is a unique blend of western and anime-inspired styles with clean, colorful compositions and expressive faces. The writing is irreverent and often feels playfully anachronistic for its fantasy setting.

The traditional RPG elements can create issues familiar to that trope as well. In some areas of the demo, I was clearly under-leveled and out of my depth. Though I was assured that this was an issue of balance in the demo, it went to show how the realities of RPGs still apply. Though the combat system is an exercise in timing and skill, there’s simply no substitute for being leveled appropriately to an area. It also had its share of placeholder images and text, suggesting the studio has some elements to finish before launch.

Indivisible is slated for this year but it has no firm release date, so the studio has time to put on these finishing touches and get the balance just right. What we’ve seen already is a promising start, blending genres in a new way that makes the marriage of fighting and RPG elements feel natural.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-devs-new-action-rpg-indivisible-shows-p/1100-6466125/

Sea of Thieves has been out for just over a year, and while many enjoyed the pirate game, others felt it just didn’t have enough content. Developer Rare is further attempting to address that feedback with the game’s Anniversary Update, comprising a new narrative-driven questline called Tall Tales: Shores of Gold and an entire new PvP mode named The Arena.

The Arena is a competitive mode for five teams of four set in smaller, distinct areas. At the beginning of each 24-minute match, every team receives the same set of treasure maps. You must proceed to one of the X marks in order to retrieve chests, which can then be cashed in for Silver at a number of special ships.

Of course, other teams are competing for the same chests to cash in, so you might find you run in to some resistance on your travels. Killing other players or sinking their ships nets you a small amount of Silver, and respawns are active. Particular to The Arena is a new damage model for ships, which can now have their wheel, masts, and anchor destroyed–though these can be repaired with wood in the same way you would fix a hull.

Tall Tales, meanwhile, is a new questline for people who wanted more direction in Sea of Thieves’ classic adventure mode. It’s set in the game’s usual shared world–which will also gain a new island that Rare says is its biggest island yet–and will see you complete a number of puzzles and riddles in the search for treasure. The mode includes new enemy types, items enchanted with new abilities, and a new faction that will buy fish and meat off you after you utilise new fishing and cooking mechanics. Sea of Thieves’ Anniversary update will be released for free on April 30.

Rare’s pirate game launched in March 2018 and was awarded a 6/10 in our Sea of Thieves review. “There may come a time when Sea of Thieves is able to entice me back, and I imagine that will be with a mix of new mission types and hopefully the promise of rewards that allow for new types of interactions, if not improve my character’s capabilities,” wrote Peter Brown. “For now, it’s a somewhat hollow game that can be fun for a handful of hours when played with friends, and something worth trying out if you happen to be an Xbox Game Pass subscriber. Even though it’s hard to wholeheartedly recommend, I like enough of what I see to hold out hope that things will eventually improve as the game continues to be patched and updated with new content.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sea-of-thieves-anniversary-update-is-huge-here-are/1100-6466120/

Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 has added a new microtransaction that lets you unlock everything. The price? $5 USD / £4 / $7.50 AUD.

The “All In-Game Rewards Unlock,” as it’s called, provides immediate access to the 4th Survivor and Tofu Survivor modes, along with costumes, weapons, and concept art. Among the weapons included are the Samurai Edge handgun, LE-5 submachine gun, ATM-4 rocket launcher, and minigun, all of which come with infinite ammo, according to Eurogamer.

That’s notable because ammo scarcity is a factor in Resident Evil 2, so these weapons ensure you are always prepared.

All of these items are normally available through gameplay, so this option is available for those who want to speed up progress. The microtransaction is available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Resident Evil 2 launched in January, and it has been a big hit. By Capcom’s latest count, the title has shipped more than 4 million copies worldwide.

GameSpot’s Resident Evil 2 review called it “a terrifying experience like no other.”

“Resident Evil 2 is not only a stellar remake of the original, but it’s also simply a strong horror game that delivers anxiety-inducing and grotesque situations, topping some of the series’ finest entries,” wrote critic Alessandro Fillari. “But above all, the remake is an impressive game for the fact that it goes all-in on the pure survival horror experience, confidently embracing its horrifying tone and rarely letting up until the story’s conclusion.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-resident-evil-2-microtransaction-lets-you-unlo/1100-6466145/

It appears Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is adding a new stage-builder mode. A new commercial for the game released by Nintendo shows what appears to be the new Stage Builder mode from the main menu. You can see this for yourself at 0:02 in the video below.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U also featured stage-builder modes, so it’s not a big surprise that it could be added to Ultimate. What’s more, the stage-builder mode was already leaked thanks to a data-mine. Another new mode, Home Run Contest, is also reportedly coming to Ultimate, according to Source Gaming.

A Nintendo Direct briefing is reportedly coming on Thursday, April 11, so it might be there that Nintendo officially announces new modes for Ultimate. Nothing is confirmed at this stage, however, so for now consider this a rumour.

Ultimate has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, making it the third best-selling Switch game of all. It’s only behind Super Mario Odyssey (13.76 million) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (15.02 million).

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-ultimate-might-be-adding-stage-bu/1100-6466142/