Co-Op, Clone Commandos, And More New Content Is Coming To Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Two years after launch, new content is still on its way to Star Wars: Battlefront 2.

In a forum post on the game’s official website, DICE has revealed a roadmap for the shooter’s upcoming content, including tweaks and changes to the Capital Supremacy game mode, new modes and maps, four-player co-op, and the addition of Clone Commandos.

The latter is a popular unit from the Clone Wars fiction. They even starred in their own video game back in 2005, with the excellent Star Wars: Republic Commando. The Clone Commandos are an elite force within the Grand Army of the Republic, striking fear into their enemies during the ongoing war effort against the Separatists. In Battlefront 2, the unit’s primary weapon is the DC-17m Repeating Blaster Rifle. A unique weapon due to its ability to transform into a grenade launcher with high efficiency against vehicles and shields.

They also just look cool.

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The Clone Commandos won’t be hitting the game until September, but before then DICE has some other content lined up for August.

Both the Separatist Dreadnaught and Republic Venator are being added to the map rotation in Heroes vs Villains. DICE has taken areas from the two capital ships to create maps suited to the small-scale game mode.

Speaking of capital ships, there are numerous tweaks and changes coming to the design of the Capital Ship phase in Capital Supremacy. Chief among them is the ability to spawn on Command Points captured by your team, much like you can spawn on friendly capture points in DICE’s other shooter, Battlefield. There’s a new map coming to Capital Supremacy in September, too, set on the humid jungle planet of Felucia.

August also sees the addition of three new appearance options for the B1 Battle Droids.

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More significantly, a four-player online co-op mode is arriving in September, allowing you to team up with three other people for a large-scale PvE adventure. You can choose to play as either the Galactic Republic or the Separatist Alliance and partake in battles on all five Clone Wars planets featured in Battlefront 2, with the experience on each one differing depending on which faction you selected.

In terms of single-player content, Instant Action is returning to the Battlefront series, offering large-scale battles for solo players who want to fight with and against AI combatants.

While DICE is tight-lipped on the exact specifics, the company did announce that content based on the upcoming Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker is coming. Battlefield 2 will feature a new planet and some new reinforcements inspired by the final movie in the galaxy-spanning Skywalker saga.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/co-op-clone-commandos-and-more-new-content-is-comi/1100-6469289/

Nintendo Switch Online’s Free NES Games For August Now Available

August’s free NES games for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers have arrived. This month sees two more legacy games hit the hybrid console, one of which will be available for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Starting today, August 21, Switch Online members can play Kung-Fu Heroes and Vice: Project Doom. The latter is particularly notable because it hasn’t been officially re-released since it originally launched on NES back in 1991, making this the first time it is appearing on any system in almost three decades. You can watch a trailer for both games below.

In addition to those two titles, this month’s batch of NES games also includes another special save state for Gradius. This version starts you off in the more difficult second loop of the game, without any power-ups. There are now almost 50 games in Switch’s NES library, with more still slated to come this year. You can see the full list on Nintendo’s website.

As previously mentioned, the NES library is available exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online members. Subscriptions are available for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year, and they grant you the ability to play Switch games online and back up your save data via the cloud.

Another perk of the NSO service is Tetris 99, a battle royale-inspired take on the classic puzzler. The game is free to download for NSO members and pits you against 98 other players in a contest to be the last one remaining. Tetris 99’s next Maximus Cup event kicks off this Friday, August 23, and players who rack up enough points during it can unlock a Fire Emblem: Three Houses in-game theme.

An FCC filing for a wireless SNES controller for the Switch was recently discovered. Nintendo released a set of wireless NES controllers for the system last year after the NSO service first launched, and this new filing has led to speculation that SNES games could be on the way to the console as well, although nothing has officially been announced yet.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-onlines-free-nes-games-for-august-/1100-6469286/

Project Sakura Wars introduces new characters from the London Revue

Project Sakura Wars introduces new characters from the London Revue

With the group being named Knights of the Round Table, the character names also come from the Arthurian legends.

source /news/8869-project-sakura-wars-introduces-new-characters-from-the-london-revue

Steam Is Coming To China As A Separate Marketplace

Steam is on its way to China as a separate marketplace co-created by Valve and its Chinese partner, Perfect World. The Shanghai-based video game developer and publisher said Steam China will be “almost entirely independent of Steam.”

That’s according to a report by Technode. The bespoke marketplace is officially titled “Zhengqi Pingtai,” which translates to Steam Platform.

By creating a self-contained version of Steam specifically for China, it ensures Valve will be able to conform to the increasingly stringent rules Chinese regulators have placed on video games, without damaging its interests in other regions. Valve has come under close scrutiny in the past because of the violent and sexually explicit games it distributes on the marketplace, but an independent Chinese store should alleviate these issues in the future.

According to Perfect World CEO Xiao Hong, Steam China will be “tailored for Chinese users,” with “high-speed servers and high-quality operations teams.” Around 40 games will initially release on the new platform, all of which are currently available on the international version of Steam, including Dota 2 and Dota Underlords.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-is-coming-to-china-as-a-separate-marketplace/1100-6469287/

Watch Zelda: Link’s Awakening Extended Gameplay From Gamescom

Nintendo devoted its pre-show presentation to a slate of indie games on Switch, but promised the week would be littered with new footage of its first-party 2019 lineup as well. The company has now delivered for The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, with an extended 30 minutes of gameplay.

The new footage features a lengthy look at the snap-together dungeon creator, highlighting how simple visual prompts let you know if your design works. It also takes a look at several mini-boss battles that will look very familiar to anyone who played the original.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening appears to be a very faithful remake of the 1993 Gameboy game of the same name. As highlighted in the trailer, Link’s Awakening was remains a very different kind of Zelda game, with cameos from Mario characters, short side-scrolling segments, and other oddities that would be a bit out of place in Hyrule.

The remake will come alongside a new Amiibo featuring Link in the game’s new art style. US customers can get the Dreamer Edition that includes a book of concept art, while Europe gets a Limited Edition with an art book and a steelbook case modeled after a Gameboy. You can check out more details in our Link’s Awakening pre-order guide.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-zelda-links-awakening-extended-gameplay-from/1100-6469285/

You Can Grab A Demo For Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age – Definitive Edition On The Switch Eshop Right Now

Before its release later next month, you can begin your journey early by downloading a demo for Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition on the UK Switch Eshop and the US Switch Eshop right now.

All of your progress will carry over into the full game, allowing you to get a head start on the latest grand adventure in the Dragon Quest series.

The demo will also give you a taste of some of the new additions coming to the Definitive Edition on Switch. There’s a comprehensive host of changes and new content, including new character-specific stories, fully orchestrated field and battle music, side quests that allow you to journey into past Dragon Quest worlds, and the ability to switch between not only HD and retro-inspired 16-bit visuals adapted from the 3DS version, but Japanese and English voice tracks as well.

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GameSpot reviewed Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age back in September last year when it was initially released for PC and PS4. Reviewer Heidi Kemps gave it 9/10, saying, “Innovation in games is talked about a lot, but it’s also great to see traditional gameplay formulas that have been around for decades presented exceptionally well. Dragon Quest XI is one of the best modern examples of this; its beautiful presentation, both visual- and story-wise, combines with a tried-and-true gameplay formula for a journey that’s full of heart and soul. Once you find yourself sucked into the world of Dragon Quest XI, it’s going to be hard to put down until you reach the grand finale.”

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition launches on Nintendo Switch September 27.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/you-can-grab-a-demo-for-dragon-quest-xi-s-echoes-o/1100-6469283/

Oninaki Review

Oninaki Review

Tokyo RPG Factory’s newest game has a lot of great ideas on paper, but never manages to fully realize them.

source /review/8868-oninaki-review

Final Fantasy 14’s New Event Starts Soon

Two months on from Shadowbringers release, the events keep on rolling in Final Fantasy XIV. The Moonfire Faire event began earlier this month and is still ongoing, allowing you to unlock various clothing material and even a kid’s swimming pool for your housing. Then, starting August 26, a new event called The Rising will kick-off for all players level 30 and above.

The Rising will be located in Eastern La Noscea, Bloodshore, and will send you on an important quest to unlock a Brave New Y’shtola minion and numerous pieces of artwork to decorate the walls of your housing with.

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Reviewer Ginny Woo awarded the Shadowbringers expansion a score of 9/10 in GameSpot’s review, saying, “It’s not just the sheer scale and strength of the narrative weaving in years of old lore without cheapening the experience for new players, or the immaculately designed boss fights replete with spectacular music and thematic touches. It’s also the implementation of the Trust system and the chance to truly feel the impact of the Warrior of Light’s decisions over the past expansions through exploring the stories of your companions. For a story that starts with a laser focus on your character’s motivations and misgivings, it tells a tale that ends up being the biggest and the best that Final Fantasy XIV has ever told. Equal parts redemption, vengeance, cruelty, and sassy Elezen, Shadowbringers promises a hell of a lot when you take your first steps into Norvrandt and delivers a truly spectacular finish even if it stumbles a little along the way.”

In other Final Fantasy news, Square Enix released a new trailer for Final Fantasy VIII Remastered during Gamescom, finally giving us a release date of September 3 for the upgraded version of the classic RPG. With overhauled visuals and substantial polish, the remaster also fixed one of the game’s funniest memes.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-fantasy-14s-new-event-starts-soon/1100-6469281/

Mortal Kombat 11 DLC Fighters Revealed: Terminator, Spawn, And The Joker

At Gamescom 2019, Netherrealm Studios and WB Games revealed the full cast of fighters coming to Mortal Kombat 11‘s Kombat Pack. In the new roster trailer, returning MK fighter Sindel, Image Comic’s Spawn, the Terminator, and Batman’s arch-nemesis The Joker made their debut in MK11. These characters were hinted at before, however, this is the first time we’ve seen how they will look in action.

The trailer also shared release dates for each of the new fighters. Interestingly enough, the final character for the Kombat Pack, Spawn, will release on March 17, 2020. The character’s debut will be almost a full year after MK11’s debut. Here’s a quick rundown of when each fighter will be available.

  • Shang Tsung: Out now
  • Nightwolf: Out now
  • Terminator: October 8, 2019
  • Sindel: November 26, 2019
  • Joker: January 28, 2020
  • Spawn: March 17, 2020

Much like 2015’s Mortal Kombat X, Netherrealm has plans for a full suite of fighters to join the fray in Mortal Kombat 11, and there is likely more coming up after Spawn joins the roster. As of this time, the only characters out now are Shang Tsung and Nightwolf, both of which were released in the months shortly after the game’s launch. The only other characters mentioned by name in previous Kombat Pack trailers were Sindel and Spawn, the latter of which is one of many guest characters diving into MK. Since MKX, Netherrealm Studios has kept the tradition of including guest fighters, which they carried over into Injustice 2–featuring Hellboy, Sub Zero, and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Interestingly enough, many of these fighters were previously leaked online due to players data-mining the Switch version of MK11. These previous leaks revealed the names of each fighter, along with some of their pre-fight dialog with other characters. So far, the leaks have all panned out. However, one fighter that’s absent–despite being mentioned in the leaks–is Evil Dead’s Ash Williams. Every other fighter from the leaks was confirmed except for Ash, which is indeed strange. The previous Kombat Pack DLC trailer seemingly had a tease for his arrival, placing the sound of a chainsaw revving up at the end of the video. With that said, we’ll likely see another Kombat Pack in the future–so there’s still a chance.

For more on Mortal Kombat 11’s new batch of fighters, along with other games shown off during Gamescom 2019, be sure to keep up with Gamespot’s continuing coverage of the show.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-11-dlc-fighters-revealed-terminator-/1100-6469269/

Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Includes This Great Nod To Classic Mario And Sonic

The 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan will be a homecoming of sorts for Mario and Sonic. The unlikely pair have starred in officially licenced games for the iconic sporting event over the past 12 years, with the upcoming Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 being the sixth entry in the long-running series. Unlike previous entries, however, it will be the first to feature Classic Events which use 2D sprites and environments.

Announced during a Nintendo Presents livestream at Gamescom 2019, the classic mode transports the game’s varied cast back in time to 1964 so they can compete in the previous Olympic Games held in Tokyo.

In the mode, the likes of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser are using sprites from 1985’s Super Mario Bros., whereas Sonic and pals feature sprites from 1992’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It’s a nostalgic mishmash of 8- and 16-bit graphics, and the mode is fairly comprehensive, too. The classic 2D characters are able to compete in 10 different events, such as the 100m dash, the long jump, judo, team volleyball, and more, and each event will also take place in a 2D arena.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 launches on the Nintendo Switch on November 5 in North America and November 8 in Europe.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mario-and-sonic-at-the-olympic-games-tokyo-2020-in/1100-6469280/