In 2019, Path of Exile has had several changes that have grown the action-RPG in some exciting ways. In addition to the launch of the ambitious Synthesis update, which added in dynamic levels, loot, and new leagues to take part in, the free-to-play action-RPG finally made its way to the PS4 in March–bringing the game to all three core platforms. However, the developers at Grinding Gear Games still have a lot in store for the game, and their next major update plans to set the stage for what’s to come in Path of Exile in the years to come.

In the upcoming Legion update–releasing on PC June 7 and on consoles June 10–Path of Exile will introduce a suite of new changes and quality-of-life upgrades to the game’s meta. In addition to adding new class archetypes and a new league, there are also some unique forms of loot to find and monsters to fight. However, the most significant change is the overhauled combat system, with the intent to make melee in PoE feel more responsive and punchy.

Speaking with managing director Chris Wilson from Grinding Gear Games, he detailed what was to come with Legion, and some of the surprising lessons they learned from their last expansion Synthesis.

“Synthesis was a tricky one for us, because to some extent we may have bitten off more than we could chew in terms of complicated designs,” said Wilson. “We were pretty happy with how it went out the door, some players weren’t, so we made a bunch of improvements and were happier with it after that. Looking ahead after that, we knew we had to make melee better, and that was going to take quite a lot of extensive improvements. So are our initial plan was to do this alongside our mega-expansion, which is coming out in another year or so. We have to make a lot of updates to it so it can stand up alongside other games that are coming in the future. So we worked out a plan and managed to get it done in time for Legion. We figured instead of saving it; we would make the game better now and release it.”

In terms of scale, Legion is a bit more light in terms of large-scale content compared to the Delve and Synthesis updates–both of which added in procedurally generated maps and complex progressions systems assigned to each. While Legion has its story missions and unique enemies coming in the form of the generals, this particular update is about upgrading the game’s existing systems and improving the meta. However, as Wilson stated, the primary focus for Legion was to offer enough content for “repeatable fun”.

Here’s a quick breakdown of features coming with Legion:

• Legion League: The new expansion will focus on two warring armies who fight in perpetual conflict over the course of thousands of years. Engaging in these fights can yield powerful weapons and artifacts to use for your character.
• Melee Overhaul: The core combat of PoE will see some fundamental changes. In addition to changes in attack animations, speed, and flow, all attacks can be canceled before their use, allowing you greater control in combat.
• The Map Device: Legion will offer an update to the existing Map Device, which allowed players to access hidden areas of the world. Previously, devices had only four slots, but in Legion, it’s possible to find devices that have five slots–greatly amplifying the effectiveness when used.
• Incubation Items: In the past, Path of Exile has included numerous ways to gain new items outside of the flow of combat. With Legion, another unique way to acquire gear is through incubated items. Dropped from enemies, these unique forms of loot will gradually unlock after enough enemies have been wiped out.
• New Archetypes: As a refresher, archetypes are suggested builds that allow you to mix skills from a variety of different classes. One of the new builds is the Blood and Sand Gladiator, a unique form of Duelist that can use blood magic and sand-based abilities.

Of course, this is only the just a brief rundown of some of the key features of Legion. In addition to these new features, this update will also include a whole suite of quality-of-life improvements to the atlas map, new socketed jewels, and also a substantial rebalance to monsters found in the early portions of the campaign. The Legion update is still one of many planned expansions for Path of Exile, which is gradually building to the announcement of its next large-scale expansion in November at ExileCon.

For more on Path of Exile and its new Legion update, be sure to visit GameSpot in the weeks ahead.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/path-of-exiles-legion-update-overhauls-combat-and-/1100-6467076/

The Sims 4 has quietly been one of EA’s longest-lasting games, putting out regular updates since its launch in 2014. Now the company has made it free through its Origin storefront, but only for a limited time.

You can pick up the game now through Origin, but only for a week. Clicking on the purchase link will forward you to an offer to subscribe to Origin Basic or Premiere, but just under those options is a third that allows you to grab the game without subscribing to either service. If you do have a Basic subscription, though, you can get the Digital Deluxe edition with some extra goodies.

The Sims 4 has gotten a ton of updates over its long lifespan, from fun cosmetic crossovers like it did with Final Fantasy XV, to a first-person camera mode, to expansions and updates focusing on diverse topics like pets, seasons, parenthood, and even a spooky mystery. Those regular updates have helped give it more longevity, matching and exceeding its predecessors that had a similar wealth of content.

You can grab The Sims 4 for free through May 28.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-sims-4-now-free-on-origin-for-a-limited-time/1100-6467069/

As usual, the Xbox Store is kicking off the week with some new game deals, and there are some worthwhile discounts to put on your radar this week. First of all: Today (May 21) is the last day to get three months of Xbox Game Pass for just $1 if you’re a new or returning subscriber. New games were just added to the lineup in May, including Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Wargroove, Surviving Mars, Tacoma, and The Surge.

On the game side, a batch of indies is available, including quite a few critically acclaimed titles, such Divinity: Original Sin 2’s Definitive Edition for $36, Firewatch for $6.59, and Dead Cells for $20. Narrative-adventure What Remains of Edith Finch is $10, and open-world pinball platformer Yoku’s Island Express is only $6.59. If you’re feeling spooky, the Amnesia Collection is marked down to $15.

Finally, you can explore the universe with No Man’s Sky, which is on sale for $37.49. With last year’s large-scale update, “Next,” and the upcoming “Beyond” free expansion releasing this summer, No Man’s Sky has come a long way since its initial launch and is worth picking up if it’s not already part of your collection.

One of the Xbox One’s selling points is its expansive collection of backward-compatible games, and the Xbox Store is offering hundreds of those older titles at a discount this week. That includes games like Red Dead Redemption for $9.89, Catherine for $10, and BioShock for $8.

See the full offering of Xbox One deals at the Xbox Store, and see more of our picks from this week’s sale below.

• Amnesia Collection — $15
• Ark: Survival Evolved — $20
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag — $8*
• Assassin’s Creed Rogue — $9.89*
• Bendy and the Ink Machine — $10
• BioShock — $8*
• Borderlands — $8*
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 — $15*
• Catherine — $10*
• Cities: Skylines – Xbox One Edition — $10
• Darksiders II — $3*
• Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition — $36
• Far Cry 3 — $8*
• Firewatch — $6.59
• Gears of War — $7.49*
• Goat Simulator — $2.49
• Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition — $9.74
• Inside — $8
• Just Cause — $1*
• No Man’s Sky — $37.49
• Pillars of Eternity – Complete Edition — $20
• Red Dead Redemption — $9.89*
• Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage — $5*
• Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl — $5*
• Skate 3 — $5*
• Soma — $12
• Superhot — $15
• Tacoma — $6
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist — $8*
• Wargroove — $17
• What Remains of Edith Finch — $10
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – Enhanced Edition — $3*
• Yoku’s Island Express — $6.59

*plays on Xbox One due to backward-compatibility

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-game-deals-the-best-xbox-one-titles-on-sa/1100-6467059/

Red Dead Redemption 2‘s multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, received a huge update last week, finally bringing it out of its beta phase. Rockstar has now rolled out another update for the online mode, introducing yet more Free Roam missions and other content–including a new batch of timed-exclusive goodies for PS4.

With this week’s RDO update, PS4 players have early access to a brand-new weapon, the “devastating” Ancient Tomahawk. You can pick one up for free from your local Fence, regardless of your rank. Going along with it is a new Showdown mode called Make It Count, a battle royale-style free-for-all that has players vying to be the last one standing on a shrinking battlefield using nothing but the Ancient Tomahawk.

Additionally, PS4 players can pick up the Perlino Andalusian Horse, which has higher stamina than a standard steed. There’s also a new assortment of clothing and emotes, as well as a second brand-new Showdown mode, Last Stand. This mode has players fighting to survive in frantic two-minute rounds. You can read more details on the PlayStation Blog.

On top of the new content, Rockstar is extending a special offer for PS4 players. Those without a PS Plus subscription, which you typically need in order to play online games on the console, will be able to jump into Red Dead Online for free until May 27. You’ll still need to own a copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 to get access to Red Dead Online, but you’ll be able to try its online mode out for a limited time at no cost. You’ll also be able to get a discount on a PS Plus subscription if you decide to sign up after the trial period.

Like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and a handful of other games, Red Dead Online offers some timed-exclusive content for PS4. Those playing on Sony’s console get early access to select weapons, modes, and other things 30 days before they go live on Xbox One. Past timed-exclusive content included the Red Chestnut Arabian Horse and the Open Target Races mode.

Rockstar has more updates in store for Red Dead Online over the next few weeks. On May 28, the developer is introducing another new Showdown mode, Head for the Hills, as well as a Wild Animal Kills Free Roam challenge. You can read more about what’s on the way to Red Dead Online soon on Rockstar’s website.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/red-dead-redemption-2-online-adds-more-ps4-timed-e/1100-6466879/

Join GameSpot as we celebrate gaming history and give recognition to the most influential games of the 21st century. These aren’t the best games, and they aren’t necessarily games that you need to rush out and play today, but there’s no question that they left an indelible impact on game developers, players, and in some cases, society at large.

It’s hard to explain what it was like to be a console first-person shooter fan in 2001. While PC players had been enjoying FPS games for years, the experience was never as strong on consoles. Where PCs had the fluidity of the mouse-and-keyboard setup, controls on console struggled to capture the same feel–to this day, two of the best-regarded FPS games of the era, GoldenEye 64 and its follow-up, Perfect Dark, were played with controllers that didn’t even sport dual analog sticks. In the nascent days of console online multiplayer, squaring off against other players, the thing that could really make shooters exciting, was limited to split-screen battles (often on tiny TVs). There were standout titles of the era, of course, but the FPS field was nothing like what we experience today.

Imagine, then, the arrival of Halo: Combat Evolved. For the first time, the discussion around console shooters opens up to a huge number of new possibilities. The Xbox’s system link multiplayer, the console market’s first experience with LAN, meant you could play with seven other friends–and more than that, you could work together as teams and execute tactics that your opponents couldn’t anticipate simply by glancing over at your side of the screen. For those whose gaming consisted purely of console experiences, it was the first time a shooter experience would become something similar to playing paintball or laser tag. It was a glimpse of the possibilities of the shooting genre’s future, and it was glorious.

Halo’s arrival on the console FPS scene didn’t just herald the shooter future, it manifested it. From the jump, the game was unmatched. In the very first mission, as players took on the role of genetically enhanced supersoldier Master Chief, developer Bungie was throwing together elements that shifted how playing shooters felt on a fundamental level. First and foremost was the enemy design. The alien Covenant were generally not idiots–they fought hard and smart, taking cover when they were hurt, grouping up to channel their fire, throwing grenades to flush you out of your hiding places, and charging up when they knew they had you on the ropes. Every encounter with an Elite enemy in the original Halo was a harrowing one, because the bastards weren’t just tough and didn’t just absorb a lot of shots. They were also very good at finding ways to kill you (and never missed a chance to laugh about it afterward).

Bungie set a standard with enemy AI design in Halo. But it also did a lot to make its fights feel more like battles, capturing a feeling that many shooters have chased ever since. The mostly-pretty-good AI extended to allies as well, and much of the time in Halo, you’re fighting the Covenant with the support of a squad of UNSC Marines. You might be a one-player army in Halo, but you always felt like part of a team, and excited shouts of your squadmates as you take down a big enemy or set off a big explosion (as well as their cries as they got blasted by grenades) created the sense that there was more to Halo than just your role in the game. Few titles captured the feeling of stepping straight into a full, realized world the way Halo did, and a huge part of that was the idea that you were just one (really good) soldier in a much larger, active army.

Halo felt like it was doing something video games had always wanted to do, but had never quite achieved before.

So many of those battles managed to take on an epic scale thanks to Halo’s perfect combination of elements. Huge fields often had vehicles crossing them, some of which you had to deal with on foot, others which you could battle in tanks or Warthogs of your own, with marines jumping into the gunner positions to back you up. A phenomenal soundtrack and Bungie’s cinematic approach made those moments even more exhilarating, expanding the scope even further. The game’s smart level design gave you tons of agency–you could pick your way through engagements, slamming straight into enemies or finding ways to flank them out while your squad distracted them, hunting down vehicles or rocket launchers to turn the tide in your favor, or sneaking past enemies and avoiding fights altogether.

Halo felt expansive in a new way for shooters, setting the tone for massive, cinematic, action movie-like games that would follow. Level after level, Halo felt like it was doing something video games had always wanted to do, but had never quite achieved before. It wasn’t necessarily inventing new things, but it took the best ideas of the genre and turned them into a singular experience. When it comes to the AAA shooter experience as we now know it, Bungie cracked the code with Halo.

Shooters are still feeling the influence of some of the best and freshest ideas of Halo. The ability to carry only two weapons and think strategically about which you pick up? Halo. Recharging shields that force you to find a shady spot and consider your tactical options mid-fight? Halo. Grenades on a trigger button, ready at all times? Halo. The standard in console FPS control schemes? Halo again. The franchise it spawned was such a powerhouse that for years, developers and publishers hoped their games might become the “Halo-killer” to usurp its place at the top of the shooter heap.

Bungie elevated console shooters with Halo, but the even bigger lasting influence of the game might be how it shook the console landscape by legitimizing Microsoft’s Xbox. When Microsoft decided to leap into the console market, there was no shortage of skepticism, but Halo was the reason to purchase the new machine. The game proved that Microsoft was not just some late-comer trying to use an abundance of cash to muscle out the dominant PlayStation, and it would be Halo’s sequels that helped make Microsoft a bigger force through Xbox Live. Through its role as an Xbox exclusive, Halo helped lay the foundation for the next two decades of what gaming would become.

Halo changed the conception of what games could be for a lot of players. It rocked the shooter world with ideas that have become standards to this day, and its approaches to gameplay and presentation made for that truly “epic” experience that games have continued to try to capitalize on ever since. But more than anything, it altered gaming for console players, elevating the experience with an amazing single-player campaign, a huge and expansive game world, and the first steps into the future of multiplayer. Playing Halo in 2001, it felt like things had changed–almost 20 years later, we’re still feeling the shockwaves.

For a look at the rest of our features in this series, head over to our Most Influential Games Of The 21st Century hub.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-most-influential-games-of-the-21st-century-hal/1100-6466820/